Jason and Chloe's Story The Sequel
by Daciavu73
Summary: Here it is! The new and improved sequel to Jason and Chloe's Story. This takes place nine years instead of seven after the prequel. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_Here it is! The sequel you've all been waiting for! I've worked really hard on this so I hope you enjoy. It was an absolute labor of love. A few things to keep in mind. One - I am going to use a completely fictional and made up royal family. This is NO WAY imitates the current and real royal family. Please keep this in mind. Two - I decided to keep the title of Duke of Winchester. Again this in no way emulates the current Earl of Winchester in real life. A complete reminder that this is a fictional royal family. Jason's ancestor was a Duchess, so I feel completely justified in making him a Duke. So read on, and forget everything you think you know from when I wrote this before. It has been changed. Thanks! :)_

* * *

"What I am about to disclose, Doc; it's extremely personal and confidential."

Jason's quiet voice carried easily to the psychiatrist sitting in the visitor's chair in Jason's penthouse office located in downtown London. Jason continued staring out at the rainy London skyline through his floor to ceiling windows as he continued. "If any of this gets out to the public, I will hold you personally responsible, because you will be the only one I've confided in.''

Jason now turned to face Dr. Theodore Nelson, a renowned psychiatrist that one of his friends praised as being the best in the business. But Jason still had a few trust issues when talking about his past. Except for one other person on this planet, no one knew of his past life with his mother, who is now thankfully dead. Her hold on him still affected his psyche sometimes and he wanted to break the cycle badly. And he knew the only way to do it was to talk to a professional.

"I take confidentiality very seriously, Your Grace."

Jason didn't think he'd ever get used to his inherited title. It's nice in some ways, the title of Duke of Winchester. It opened doors in England that weren't open otherwise, and it sounded good to business associates that wanted to work with him.

And it gave him more money in his accounts, which placed him amongst the top five percent of richest men in the world. Not bad for a man of twenty-nine years old.

Power and money were great in most respects and Jason had learned they made close bedfellows. No matter how rich he was, he knew he couldn't buy peace or happiness. If that were possible, he would have done it already.

He began having nightmares recently that brought back some of his most painful and abusive experiences with his mother. How his mother had a pain fetish, she liked either inducing pain or in some cases, receiving pain. Plus, how she preferred boys over men while playing out her S&M fantasies. The younger they were, the better she liked it. She stated the reason was because they were easier to train HER way. Jason had wanted more than anything to gain his mother's approval in the early years, but as time went on; he was blackmailed into continuing their sick relationship. She used his loyalty to her for her own purposes. It now caused him to have problems getting close to any women. Once he saw that a dating relationship was beginning to progress, or that the woman held different expectations than he did regarding where the relationship was headed, he stopped it in its tracks and moved on.

He knew he broke a few hearts along the way and hated that, but it's better to do that now than for them to find out about his past. They would really hate him then. He was certain of it.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he glared at the doctor, his voice taking on an edge.

"Just know this Doc, I won't tolerate this turning up in some tabloid or in the news. I will disclose some very disturbing memories to you. Even crimes I have been forced to commit that could put me in a life sentence in a US federal penitentiary, and even death row in some states. So if this means you will turn me in to the police or cash this story in for money, you need to leave now."

"Your Grace..." Dr. Nelson leaned forward and met Jason's eyes. The man reminded him of a British version of Dr. Phil McGraw. Not in looks, but the way he conducted himself during the last ten sessions they have had together. "We have talked about many things except what is really at the heart of your problems because of your fear of punishment. Or maybe it's your fear of judgment from me. Let me assure you, unless I see you are in danger of harming yourself or someone else now, what you say to me will never leave this room. I am here to help you. I don't judge. You can be completely open with me."

Jason usually had a hard time trusting people, but he considered himself to have a very accurate BS radar. And this man seemed to be on the level.

And frankly, he _really_ needed help from somebody! He was getting desperate.

"OK, but I warn ya Doc, it's not pretty."

"Believe me, there is nothing you can tell me that I haven't already dealt with."

Jason smirked at him, "I might be the first to surprise ya, Doc."

* * *

Dr. Theodore Nelson walked out the front doors of Teague International, contemplating his newest patient.

Jason Teague was an enigma, a puzzle that will take months or years to unravel. On the outside he looked like any other successful businessman that had made it to the top through family connections. He looked very much like a man that had it all together. Expensive Armani suits, a gold Rolex watch that periodically peeked out from his sleeve, a family heirloom ring he wears that has his family crest (passed down from his maternal grandfather, the previous Duke of Winchester), his hair, cut and styled perfectly, nails that were obviously professionally manicured on a regular basis, and perfect physical shape of an athlete, living on a large estate within a three story mansion.

But the outward appearance was just a façade. Dr. Nelson knew this from the beginning of their sessions and he was finally breaking through to the first layer of Jason's psyche.

The Duke was right, but he would never admit it. This might be more than he had bargained for. He would probably place Jason Teague amongst the top ten worst cases of child abuse he had ever heard of. He had monsters within the closet of his mind just like most children do, except Jason Teague's were real memories, not imagined fears. And Jason Teague had no idea how to deal with the ghosts of his past. Nor how to continue living a normal life.

Dr. Nelson was determined to do all in his power to help each and every patient that came his way. And he knew the current Duke of Winchester needed more help than most.

It just goes to show you that abuse does not discriminate. It happens in wealthy families as well as poor families.

And Dr. Nelson knew he just scratched the surface with Jason Teague today. He looked forward to the challenge of what he can help the Duke get through in the future. This is his job and he was determined to do it to the best of his ability.

* * *

It was now 9:00 in the evening and as was his usual evening routine, Jason sat on his bed with his laptop on his lap, spreadsheets scattered all around him, and wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Jason had been told by some of his close friends that he needed to relax more and not work so much. But work was what kept the demons at bay and as long as his mind was occupied, he didn't have to deal with his past. And it caused him to become a notorious workaholic.

But eventually the demons came back, the ghosts of his past, and he stopped his work for a moment to take off his glasses and rub his tired eyes. He began thinking of his session today with Dr. Nelson and some of the painful memories Nelson was trying to pull out of him. This was usually the time he'd get dressed and go out into the city, disguised as a commoner, and find someone to dally with for the night. His "friends" didn't know he did this, and didn't know the lifestyle he sometimes took part in.

_Did I actually think of the word "dally"? _Damn! He was even beginning to _sound _British. He had to believe it was due to living in this country for the last seven years. He can adopt a commoner's accent just as easily as a Queen's English accent, which helped him blend in wherever he went while in disguise. Dodging paparazzi was not one of his favorite past-times. But he was forced to do so after that stupid magazine article last month named him England's second most eligible bachelor. Right behind his cousin Prince Darwin in the votes. Well, third cousin, but who's counting?

He honestly wished sometimes he would have grown up poor, just so he could be a nobody and just walk the streets as himself. He was practically a celebrity in England now, and he can't show his true self to the public.

His mother made damn sure of that.

* * *

**(Earlier that day during therapy session)**

"Now let's get to the heart of the matter, shall we? Tell me about your mother." Dr. Nelson had asked directly.

Jason smirked while staring down into his glass of scotch, swirling it a bit while he thought about it. "What's to tell Doc? She was a controlling, manipulative bitch of a woman that kept me tied to her through money or sex."

"Your mother forced you to have sex with her? Or with others?"

"See... that's the thing. I don't know if you can call it 'forced'. What really gets me is that I actually enjoyed what she did! So what kind of freak does that make me?"

"Well, for one thing you didn't quite answer my question. Did your mother have sex with you?"

Jason gulped the rest of his scotch, winced when he swallowed and stared at his glass. Dr. Nelson noticed Jason's hand tremble slightly.

"Yes…" Jason answered quietly.

"When did it start?" The doctor asked kindly, "How old were you the first time?"

Jason pinned his gaze on the doctor and answered matter-of-factly, "Fourteen."

"Jason... I'm sorry, may I call you Jason?"

Jason nodded his acceptance as he poured another scotch and listened to what the doctor had to say, "Listen very carefully. She manipulated you Jason. She did rape you. You did say you were fourteen when you first had sexual intercourse with Genevieve? Correct?"

Jason nodded again and sipped his drink, needing the shot of alcohol to get through what would inevitably be a stressful recounting of his past.

"Jason... if you believe nothing else, believe this. You were a victim of a very manipulative and calculating pedophile."

Jason snorted and answered, "I never really thought of her in that light. As a pedophile I mean."

"Well that's exactly what she was. Think about it. You were under the legal age for consent, you were her _son_... her job was to protect you, to nurture you, to love you... what she did was wrong on so many levels that it would take me years to go over all of it. But I want to drill it into your head right now that it's not your fault."

"How can I believe that Doc?"

"Please, do me a favor and call me Ted."

"Sure... Ted. At fourteen, I was already taller and stronger than my mother, so how can I believe I was a victim? I could have stopped it at any time. But I didn't. And in a strange way… I liked the attention. Is that fucked up or what?"

"No you couldn't stop it because a fourteen year old boy's body will react to _any_ sexual stimuli given or received. At that age, your hormone driven body was having a circus in your pants and Genevieve knew that and used you and your reactions to further her own agenda...at that age, any touch, any caress would have jump started your body against your will."

"But why couldn't I say no, Ted? Why _didn't_ I say no?" Jason asked in a somewhat tortured voice.

"Jason, you're going to drive yourself crazy about things in the past you can't change. First you need to forgive yourself. I think that's a lot of your problem; that you want to continue to beat yourself for events you couldn't control. And probably why you have control issues now in your present. Genevieve knew you so well that she knew exactly what strings to pull to make you her puppet. _You were a victim._ I cannot stress that enough." The doctor watched as his words sank into the Duke of Winchester's brain, and then he asked gently, "The first time this began, what happened? How did that start?"

Jason became edgy as he shook his head in disbelief, "Seriously? You want me to tell you my best kept secret? Just bare my fucking soul right here and now so you can write a book about it maybe?"

Dr. Nelson sighed inwardly. Jason's trust issues were going to be tough to deal with. He had to find some way to get the Duke to believe him and trust in him, or else they'll never make any kind of breakthrough. "Jason, I signed your confidentiality agreement, and you signed mine. Besides, I have no intention of writing any books and you're dodging the question, which seems to be a habit of yours. If you don't get this out in the open, it's going to continue eating you up inside like a cancer."

They were quiet while Jason sat in the visitor's chair opposite the doctor. He gulped down a little more liquid courage and seemed to be lost in thought. Nelson waited patiently as Jason murmured, "It was kind of our version of the 'bird and bees' talk, I guess. The maid found some skin mags I had hidden under my bed. Mother was confronting me about it… and I honestly thought I was in trouble, you know? Most mothers would freak. But she didn't. Not at all. She actually seemed kind of… proud!" Jason shook his head in derision of that memory.

"Proud in what way?" Nelson queried.

"She said I was on my way to becoming a man now… that the hair I was starting to grow under my arms and on my... um… balls and my chest were the physical changes that proved that… and then she described how a guy gets aroused with what he sees, that they're visual creatures. So she would actually buy me a subscription if I wanted it. And then she said the damndest thing I'll never forget."

Jason looked up at the doctor, cleared his throat and looked back down at his lap again, his finger running up and down the crease on his pants leg. "She said… that she wouldn't be much of a mother if she didn't show me herself what it was about. But it would have to stay between the two of us."

"And it started that night?"

"No, the next night. Frankly, I'm not comfortable with going into details with you right now Doc… but let's just say it progressed from touching to fondling to intercourse pretty quick… and eventually it became a nightly thing. The only break I got was when she was out of town for a few nights for some charity fundraiser, or if I was at a friend's house. I learned very early on how to work a woman's body. And now sometimes actual intimacy… sickens me in a way. And I don't want to grow old and lonely."

Dr. Nelson just jotted some notes on his legal pad and nodded for Jason to continue, which he did. "And then one day, dear old Dad walked in on us… now _that _was a mortifying moment. And it was kind of a relief in a way because I thought surely he'd stop it, that he'd step in and do something about it… But he didn't. He simply packed up and left."

Jason spoke angrily through gritted teeth, "He left me there with HER. Never tried to get me out of there, never contacted me again until years later. The sick bastard left me to a fate worse than death Doc. And I hated him for years. I hated my mother for the sick shit she dealt out on me. I honestly wanted to kill them both."

When Jason paused, Dr. Nelson prodded, "Go on…"

"As time went on, her tastes got… darker. Bondage, S&M, inflicting pain and pleasure when she saw fit… It kind of became my punishment if I refused to do as she said… and then I got to where I really got off on it, but at the same time the shame and guilt really messed with my head."

"Because you were receiving pleasure from an act that to the outside world is taboo… again, I'll repeat, she manipulated you in that way Jason… Let me ask this. If you didn't do as she told you, how would she respond? If you think about it, I think this would give you your answer as to why you wouldn't or couldn't turn her down."

Jason gulped the last of his scotch and then answered, "What would she do? She used to tell me that I'd be turned out in the street with nothing but the clothes on my back. I'd be disinherited, destitute, forced to do things like sell my body to get money in a hurry." Jason looked the doctor in the eye and continued, "And that was IF I was lucky. You didn't see her when I really pissed her off."

"And you don't think that was exactly what she was doing to you anyway? Because of her, you were already cashing in your body to keep a roof over your head."

Jason thought about that and murmured, "Yeah, I guess it was. But at that time, I didn't see it that way."

"As long as you kept her happy, she rewarded you. She bought you a new car, right?"

Jason bitterly answered, "Hell yeah. A Lamborghini. Payment for services rendered, one might say."

Dr. Nelson ignored the bitterness as he continued prodding, "And she seemed to know exactly where you were at all times right?"

"Yeah...so, what are you getting at, Doc? And how did you know that?"

The doctor shrugged, "It's what abusers do. They have to keep the power and control in their favor. My best educated guess is she probably had a GPS device on your car. In her mind, I would bet she viewed you as her property; in some ways as a personal slave …she owned you and knew it. She couldn't allow you to have any kind of control for yourself because if you had even a small amount, she would feel like she lost all control and that was not tolerated. She 'allowed' you to go out and have fun and party and drink and be merry... for a price. Am I hitting it pretty close?"

Jason nodded again, still really not that comfortable with verbalizing every atrocity done to him.

"As long as you kept her happy, as long as you were at her beck and call, you could do as you wanted otherwise, correct?"

Jason stood and went to the wet bar in his office, pouring another scotch and taking another gulp. He stared off into the distance.

"Doc….. How can I have any kind of relationship with a woman when I'm scared to death of her finding out about my past and being disgusted by it? Or what if I do find that odd person that actually forgives that and then we have kids?" Jason turned back to the doctor, his eyes almost pleading, "I have this terrible fear that I will... do the same thing. Like I wouldn't be able to control myself -what if it's in my bloodline? Or it's genetic, or something that I CAN'T control? What if I damage a kid of mine the way I was damaged?"

"You're doing the right thing in talking about it and getting help ahead of time." Ted stood and faced his patient as he quietly continued, "You've heard the phrase that you can't change what you don't acknowledge?"

"Yeah, I've seen the Dr. Phil show a few times." Jason joked, reminding the psychiatrist of how he made Dr. Phil references when they first met.

"Well, he's absolutely right. You acknowledge the fact that a lot of victims of sexual abuse become abusers themselves. You are taking the first steps in stopping that cycle and for what it's worth, I'm proud of you. And if you stick with me, I promise you I'll do all I can to help you. I'll present every single resource I can possibly offer you to help you lead a normal healthy life in the future."

Jason turned to face the doctor with a slight smile, "I appreciate that Ted. I need all the help I can get."

"It's not going to be easy Jason. You'll have to start judging right from wrong on your own, not with the yardstick your mother or father taught you. There are a few things that are black and white. For instance, if it's illegal, it's wrong. That's black and white. Other things will have to go by what your gut is telling you. If it doesn't make you feel like a better person when you lay down to sleep at night, it's probably wrong for you and you'll need to stay away from that behavior. I won't necessarily be teaching you right from wrong, but help you to figure out what is right or wrong, good or bad, for you."

Ted checked his watch and he sighed, "And unfortunately, our time is up. I'll keep our appointments as my last appointment of the day for each session so we can work on these issues as long as you need to. In the meantime…" Dr. Nelson scribbled something on a pad of paper and tore off the top sheet, passing it to Jason, "This prescription should help you sleep."

Jason took the paper hesitantly. He hated drugs. But he might not have a choice right now. His usual way of dealing with uncomfortable moments was to crack a joke, so he shrugged and quipped, "Well at 500 pounds an hour, I would think you'd clear your schedule completely. You'll become a rich man off of me."

"Jason... the money is always nice, but for me it means nothing. I genuinely want to help and I'm here because I want to be, not because you pay me. I never take on a client that I don't want to help."

Ted picked up his briefcase and asked, "Same time Thursday?"

"Yeah, but next time, we'll do this at my home instead of here. My staff at home is a lot more discreet than the employees here."

"I'll meet you at the manor this time Thursday then. Don't be late."

Jason walked him to the elevator and then went back into his office to collect what he needed, call his driver to pick him up at the front doors, and then he left.

Now that Jason was at home and his work on his lap forgotten, he began to see that Dr. Nelson seemed to really want to help him. And if he really does help him get out of this mental nightmare, he'd be almost willing to kiss the man.

Almost... but not quite.


	2. Chapter 2

"Chloe, I don't like this. I can't begin to describe how much I despise this idea of you moving halfway across the world."

Chloe rolled her eyes. Clark was being such a nag today. They were in her apartment, it was mid-morning and she was completing the job of packing for her one way trip to England.

She recently received a job at the London Dispatch as a columnist, and Clark was helping her pack. Well maybe "helping" was not the right word for what he was doing. Clark was not nearly as excited as his best friend about her move to England. And he was really trying Chloe's patience today. His reluctance to help her pack reminded her of Martha Kent's statement about her son, that he was "slow as molasses and fast as lightning at the same time".

"Come on Clark." Chloe chided gently, making sure she had everything she needed to travel to another country, including passports and travelers checks. "It will just take you a few seconds longer to fly over and see me. It's not like I'm going to the moon." Then she stopped and thought about that, smiling a little, "But that wouldn't stop you either, would it?"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Clark huffed his annoyance as he picked up a copy of the London Dispatch and turned it to where there was a 5x7 color shot of Jason, where he was voted England's #2 most eligible bachelor. Shaking the picture in front of her, he snapped, "_He_ is what I'm talking about Chlo'. Why didn't you tell me that Joey's father is Jason Teague?"

Clark and Lois had been wonderful support during her pregnancy and subsequent birth of her only son. It had been so hard back then to keep the identity of Joey's father a secret. No one knew until she found Jason's picture in the London Dispatch about six months ago that was taken at a charity event for the London School for the Deaf. Her reaction at seeing his picture caused Lois's internal radar to go off. Lois remembered what she thought was a fling between Chloe and Jason; she put two and two together and figured out on her own who Joey's father was and told Clark.

Clark was more hurt that Chloe never told him herself, and he still wasn't quite over it.

Chloe felt a small twinge of guilt at the hurt in Clark's voice. She hadn't told anyone who Joey's father was until Lois pulled it out of her. Chloe had no idea what shady deals Jason was involved with that caused him to be shot by Lionel Luthor nine years ago and later go into hiding. Back then, she felt for the safety of her baby, it was best to keep quiet about the identity of the father. Now that there were no Luthors to tangle with, and Jason's whereabouts were tracked by paparazzi on an almost constant basis, he would be pretty easy to find now.

Especially if she worked for the Dispatch.

She needed to talk to Jason. She felt every father should at least be aware of the fact that he fathered a child. She would have told Jason as soon as she found out she was pregnant, except she had no idea then how to contact him. Joey is eight years old now, and more than a handful at the best of times. During her relationship with Oliver, he helped out where he could, but now that that relationship was over…

Well, Clark would argue that he could be the male figure in Joey's life now, but Joey was already asking questions about who his father is… she really needed to talk to Jason. And obtaining the new job in London will bring her closer to Jason distance-wise, and maybe introduce father and son eventually. But she had some hard questions for Jason first before revealing the fact that she had his child.

"Clark, last time I checked, we no longer tell every little thing about our lives to each other."

"Damn it Chloe!" Clark tossed the newspaper on the bed and crossed his massive arms over his chest. "Jason Teague was bad news nine years ago. We now know that he and his mother kidnapped Lionel and Lex, we know Lionel shot Jason. Lionel was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them."

"Stop right there." Chloe's hand came up warningly, "I don't want to hear it. Genevieve Teague was the evil one in that family, and I'd like to think that Jason has moved on since Genevieve's death."

"Can you really take that risk Chloe?" Clark asked, unbelievably shaking his head. "What is it with you and billionaires?"

Chloe couldn't believe Clark just said that, knowing he was referring to her past relationship with Oliver as well, "Clark Kent, are you calling me a gold digger?"

"No! Chlo'! What I'm saying is you've stood by Oliver regardless of everything I threw his way; regardless of how many times I wanted to kick him to the curb. And now it's like you've got a blind spot regarding Jason too and you're putting your son at risk while you're at it."

"And I was right about Oliver wasn't I? And I can't believe that you don't trust me to protect my own son! Do you really think I would put Joey in harm's way without thoroughly investigating everything beforehand?" Chloe asked, slightly hurt.

"All I'm saying is, I don't trust Jason Teague one iota." Clark answered stubbornly.

Chloe leaned back to meet her best friend's eyes levelly, "Let me ask you something….. what if it's wonderful and Joey finally has a father he can look up to? Clark, I can't have my son going through what I did when my father left me. I have no relationship with my dad now and he's never forgiven me for…" Chloe trailed off and then sighed sadly, her shoulders sagging, "Well, you know the rest."

"Oh!...So that's what this is about? Chloe, this is not the same thing."

"In a way it is Clark. The longer I keep quiet about it, and not tell one about the other, they'll both eventually hate me. I don't think Jason is what you think he is. From what I remember, he had a lot of good in him."

"And I think you're looking at him through rose colored glasses."

Chloe sighed; she knew she'd never get Clark to see it her way, at least not right now.

"Okay, let's table this discussion for now. Bart and Joey will be back any minute. Then the two of you are going to load our vehicles of my stuff. With your speedy selves doing the loading, Joey and I should be in Oliver's plane and airborne within the next hour."

Clark felt defeated. There was just so much he could control, and Chloe's will was not one of them. He had to let it go. But he didn't have to like it. "You'll email me right? Call me? Keep in touch?"

Chloe grinned and wagged a finger at him. "You seem to forget you're going to marry my cousin soon. I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"Yeah, Lois and I are fighting over if you're going to be her maid of honor or my best person."

Chloe pretended to smack Clark on the bicep and he pretended to flinch, a game they've played for years.

* * *

The following day after Jason's session with Dr. Nelson found him elbow deep in work. Board meetings out the wazoo, then another staff meeting with his management team… now he was on the phone with his lawyer at six o'clock in the evening.

Jason paced his office like a caged panther. He had removed his suit jacket an hour ago, his tie was loosened and the first couple of buttons on his dress shirt were opened. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. All indications that this was going to be a long evening.

Jason placed his palms flat on his desk and leaned toward his phone, as though the person on the other end could see the fierce expression on his face. "Let's get something straight, Richards. Contrary to popular belief, the London School for the Deaf is in dire need of expansion. I'm the guy that can make that happen, and at the best quality for the rate I quoted."

"I am aware of that Your Grace," The bored reply had Jason's hackles rising, but knowing how the mind that went along with the nasal voice worked, he kept his cool.

Mostly.

He pushed off from his desk and paced again as he snarled, "So why is it, that knowing this, you are incapable of convincing the board that my company is making the better offer? What am I missing here?"

Jason could almost envision his fiftyish lawyer on the other end of the phone using a finger to nervously poke his glasses back up his nose. Richards cleared his throat and answered shakily, "Oliver Queen has partnered with a local businessman, who happens to be Prince Alfred's second cousin."

"And what am I? Chopped liver? I'm his second cousin too! I am the fucking Duke of Winchester! You'd think that would carry a little weight!"

"But you're American, Your Grace."

"So is Oliver! _My_ maternal family is British royalty for crying out loud! Fact of the matter is, regardless of being raised as a 'Yank', as you like to refer to me, I know _people_!" Jason's fist hit the desk on the last word, causing a cup of pencils to fall to the floor. Then he pointed at the phone as if he was pointing as his lawyer's face, "And I'm a whole lot better with people than those uppity, pain-in-my-ass snobs on the board of trustees for the deaf school."

"The board is not convinced you have their best interests at heart."

"Two words Richards. Bull. Shit! They want me to cut corners. And if I do that, the quality will suffer. Oliver Queen has underbid me twice! There's a leak in this company and by God, I'm going to find it! So this conversation stays strictly between you and me."

Richards spluttered, interrupting Jason's ire. "You know I treat all of our conversations with the strictest confidence, Your Grace."

Jason continued as though he had not heard, "I'll go down on the price one more time, and I'll pay for the extra out of my own pocket. I will _not_ stand idly by and watch Oliver Queen and Tess Mercer make London a laughingstock to the deaf community! As a matter of fact, I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that if they win this job, the board will come to me, begging me to fix their mistakes ten years from now... No, you know what? Make that five years. There's no way in _hell_ they can produce quality at the price they're quoting."

"I've always done my level best, Your Grace, to advise you, and I have always, _always_ treated your confidentiality as tantamount to-"

"Stop kissing my ass and give me a legal game plan!"

Richards was silent for a long moment, the anger in Jason's voice making the lawyer's reply quiet and timid, "You just have to convince the board your idea is the most sound. That this is a non-profit endeavor for you. A labor of love, if you will. Brits tend to think Americans are notorious for greed, not charity."

Jason muttered under his breath, "I should remind them of a few moments in history!"

"Pardon?"

Jason sighed, "Fine! I'll have the blueprints drawn up ASAP along with a flow chart estimating where the finances are going."

"And you can simply remind them of the hours you've volunteered for the deaf school. That should prove your heart is in this project instead of your wallet. That would help sway the board you're not in this for the money. That you have the knowledge and experience to better understand what the deaf school needs. And it doesn't hurt to mention that you financially support a deaf foster sister as well."

"I'm not dragging Guin into this mess if I can help it. Her agoraphobia would set her off. The poor girl won't even peer out her door to check the weather." Jason stopped pacing for a moment and chewed on his thumbnail thoughtfully, "I sincerely wish I could get her to volunteer at the deaf school as well, but her fear of people just makes it difficult. So I haven't pushed it."

"I can make that happen for you..."

"You're kissing my ass again," Jason grouched. He hated yes men and suck ups. Richards was both. But he was also one of the best lawyers in the city. It was the only reason he put up with him.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace."

Jason sighed and rolled his eyes. Even hearing his title out of the man's mouth was grating on his last nerve, "Just draw up the contract and put in the revisions I mentioned. Get it emailed to me today."

"Yes, Your Grace."

They disconnected and Jason let out a heartfelt sigh, and shut his eyes. He could feel the beginnings of a migraine pulsing behind his eyelids. There were few things he cared about as much as this project for the deaf school. He knew he couldn't solve all of their problems. He had offered to actually buy the school once, but that fell through. Although he felt like he was just putting a band-aid on a deep gash, he was doing all he could to make it a little better.

Volunteering at the deaf school twice a week gave him a purpose. Something he didn't have for most of his life. He helped with the teenagers. Nothing in his life gave him more of a thrill than that moment when he reached one of his students. A kid that was once in a completely silent world who begins to learn how to communicate through the sign language he taught them was the best feeling of satisfaction he ever felt in his life.

And maybe, somewhere deep down, he was seeking redemption for the sins of his past.

He checked his watch and grabbed his jacket. He needed to go check on Guinivere anyway. He was the only one that she allowed into her sanctuary. If he didn't check on her, she would probably waste away.

And she was yet another casualty of his mother's cruelty. So he was going to do everything in his power to help Guin become her own woman and overcome the abuse of the past. He wanted to move her into his home, but knew she wouldn't come out of her bedroom if he did, due to so many house staff in his home. At least, living in the cottage he set up for her, she had a whole house to herself.

Pulling out his Smartphone, he emailed a message to Guin, advising he was on his way.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note - Thank you for the reviews so far and those that are following... be sure to let me know what you're thinking. I appreciate you guys!_

* * *

_**(Jason's junior year of high school)**_

_"I have a surprise for you Jason." Genevieve announced as she met Jason at the door when he arrived home from football practice._

_Warily, Jason placed his gear just inside the door and pulled off his cleats, then stuffed his feet into house shoes. Something his mother insisted on to keep him from tracking dirt into the house._

_"A surprise, huh?" Jason couldn't keep the suspicion out of his voice. "What kind of surprise?"_

_"Follow me." Genevieve ordered as she began walking through the foyer, expecting her son to follow her. He trailed after her, mostly wary but slightly intrigued. The last surprise was a car. But of course, he had to earn that by giving a couple of her society friends a good time in the sack. And to make it worse, he had to come home and tell Genevieve everything in excruciating detail regarding what took place._

_So surprises were not things he looked forward to in this household. There was usually a catch._

_Genevieve led him to the back of the house. She opened the basement door and then preceded him down the concrete steps to the bottom, her heels click-clacking the whole way._

_Jason barely made it halfway down the steps when he heard a sound of terror from the back corner of the basement, making him pause. It sounded a lot like a wounded animal and he cautiously crept down the last five steps, searching the near darkness for the source of the sound._

_Once his eyes adjusted, he saw the figure of a girl that couldn't be more than fourteen years old. She was huddled in the fetal position whimpering on the bare floor. No clothes on, no blankets and it had to be about fifty-five degrees in the basement. And lying on concrete with no clothes probably made it feel colder._

_"What the hell?" Jason exclaimed, then turned to his mother with narrowed eyes, "What did you do to her? Who is this? Where did she come from?"_

_Genevieve's light laugh grated on Jason's nerves as she exclaimed, "Jason darling, I didn't do a thing." She could tell from Jason's glare that he didn't believe her and she sighed, "I was at a charity fundraiser last night where we were raising money for the adoption of handicapped children that needed homes." She gestured to the girl with a flourish, giving Vanna White a run for her money, "When I saw her…. I knew she'd be perfect."_

_Still not trusting his mother, he asked darkly, "Perfect for what?"_

_"She's deaf darling. She doesn't even know sign language. I've signed the papers for her today and brought her here."_

_"You adopted her?" Jason asked incredulously._

_"I bought and paid for her you fool!" Genevieve answered sharply, apparently not liking the idea of another child to take care of, "She's your very own concubine."_

_"My concu-what_?_" Jason asked in stunned surprise, not completely believing his ears._

_"Concubine. Or consider her a love slave if you will. You are allowed to do anything you want with her. She would be the perfect practice for you."_

_Jason couldn't wrap his head around this. The poor girl was shivering, no clothing, and the little noises she made still sounded like a wounded animal. If he knew his mother the way he thought he did, she probably was wounded. Cursing under his breath, he took his letterman's jacket off and held it out to the girl as he asked, "Why didn't you at least get her some clothes or blankets. She could get pneumonia down here!"_

_He thought he heard his mother murmur, "You'll see." but at that moment, the girl actually snarled at him, causing him to drop his coat and jump back. Genevieve chuckled._

_"She's not much better than an animal really." Genevieve commented in amusement as Jason turned on her with astonishment._

_"First off Mother, this is illegal. Slavery was abolished in the 1800's if memory serves me. And second…." He gestured toward the girl. "What kind of person could leave a girl down here where there's no heat without a way to warm herself?_

_Genevieve's tone was cold. "Jason, you should know how I operate by now. She has to earn those luxuries. If she pleases us, she gets the clothes and bedding and food. If she doesn't, well, she gets nothing. Pure and simple."_

_"I'm not standing by for this." Jason retorted. He glanced at the girl and had a small bit of satisfaction that she snuggled under his jacket. At least for now she'll have some warmth. He began to walk toward the stairs. "I'm calling the police."_

_"Jason…" Genevieve called out quietly, but just enough to stop Jason in his tracks. He knew that tone of voice, and it never boded well. He turned back to her and watched her take down a horse whip that was hanging on a nail above the dryer. He gulped. Now he had a good idea why the girl was so frightened. If he had more lighting, he could check her for whip lashes and he'd bet everything he had that she had some marks, and that his mother put them there._

_"What, you gonna whip me?" Jason asked doubtfully. His mother did a lot of things and he knew better than anyone what she was capable of._

_"Don't be silly Jason!" Genevieve laughed and cracked the whip in the air. The girl dove under his jacket in fear. She probably couldn't hear the whip crack, but she could see it and that would be enough to frighten her._

_"Do you remember the story of the whipping boy Jason? It was one of your favorites as a child."_

_He definitely didn't like where this was going as he answered. "When the prince misbehaved, instead of whipping the prince, they chose a village boy to whip in his place."_

_Genevieve turned to face Jason with a slight smirk and raised brow, nodding behind her in the direction of the huddled girl. "And do you think I honestly wouldn't do the same to her?"_

_Jason barreled back down the stairs, grinding his teeth as he stood over Genevieve and snapped. "You are one callous bitch!"_

_"You know your choices Jason. Fuck her or she gets this." Genevieve waved the whip in front of him._

_This was one time Jason wanted to kill "The Bitch", the name he mentally dubbed her. Just wrap his hands around her neck and squeeze until her eyes bulged out and there was no more life within her. But he saw out of the corner of his eye that two of her henchmen were at the top of the stairs waiting to take him down if he tried._

_Knowing she won, she ordered, "Take your clothes off Jason. You know what to do."_

* * *

_**Present day**_

Jason pulled his car into the driveway of Guin's small cottage on the outskirts of Lancaster, England.

After his mother died, he moved Heaven and Earth to find his deaf foster sister, knowing she'd just suffer a death of starvation and exposure if he didn't find her.

He actually found Guinivere in a wooden box that was shoved under Genevieve's bed in Metropolis. He had no idea how long she had been under there in the dark, nearly starved and very dehydrated, forced to lie in her own waste. He cursed his mother to Hell and back as he got her out, cleaned her up and brought her with him to England. It took months to nurse her back to full health. They lived together at this very same cottage for five years with him growing his hair and a beard and working as a dock worker to pay for their food and clothing until he inherited the title Duke of Winchester.

The day William Richards, his grandfather's lawyer and now his current lawyer, sought him out and provided the news that his grandfather that he never met had just died and he inherited the title of a Duke was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because now he had the money to take care of anything he wanted and financially support Guin as well. A curse because all of England knew who he was and tended to bow or curtsey when he walked by. And women? There were plenty available women, but most had dollar signs in their eyes. And it was hard to distinguish who genuinely wanted him for himself and not his money.

Standing on the cottage porch, he looked out over the sprawling landscape that Guin rarely came out and enjoyed. He cared for her like a sister, but she looked to him as her hero, which at times made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. It was a nice stroke to the ego, but he's no hero. He couldn't get her to see that he did not return her feelings. She just believed he'd eventually change his mind and wouldn't listen to him as she continued to live in her own dream world.

What kept him coming back was the feeling of responsibility he had toward her. He learned sign language in high school and taught it to her so the two of them could communicate. Nowadays, she would never leave the house except for small trips into town, or a walk on the beach. And only if he went with her. Otherwise she locked herself in the cottage and stayed there until the next time Jason came over.

Now standing at the doorway, he rang the doorbell and saw how the lights inside flickered when he did so, feeling proud of himself for doing that bit of electrical work for her. That way she knew when someone was at the door.

He also knew that she would check to see who was at the door and assure herself it was him before answering, so he waited patiently.

When she opened the door, she smiled brightly which brought a smile to his own face. He signed to her. "Hey Guinee. May I come in?"

Guinivere nodded eagerly with a bright smile and opened the door wider for Jason to enter.

The smell of baking hit Jason as soon as he walked into the cottage. Guin had devoured every cookbook he'd ever bought for her. And she especially loved to bake. On top of this, Guin turned the little cottage into a home. With help from more books, she learned to knit and sew. She had made curtains while they lived here together and his eyes caught sight of something new since the last time he was here. She had completed her afghan that was knitted in bright rainbow colors. He reached out and touched it reverently, then turned back to her.

"This is amazing Guinee." He signed to her. He enjoyed the pleased look on her face. "You're very talented. You know you could sell some of these to make some money for yourself."

She shook her head and signed, "That's a lot of hard work to be sold off. I'd rather keep it here and enjoy it."

He turned back to the afghan, fingering the soft wool until Guin's waving drew his attention back to her. She signed to him a question, her look hopeful.

"Thank you Guin, coffee sounds heavenly." She started to turn toward the kitchen, but he placed a hand on her arm to stop her, getting her attention. With little boy pleading eyes, he signed, "Would you happen to have any of those lemon bars I like?"

She nodded and signed, "I know they're your favorite. Come!" She motioned toward the kitchen and gestured for him to have a seat at the two seater table in the kitchen while she bustled around getting coffee and goodies.

Jason took a seat in the wooden chair and watched Guin, thinking back over their lives. He knew what his mother did to both of them affected her more than him in some ways. Guinivere shut herself off from the world. She would only trek out when he was here to take her out. There were times he couldn't get to the cottage to see her due to business engagements. At those times, he'd shoot her an email, then have his housekeeper shop for what she needed. He figured a woman would know better regarding what another woman needed to keep house. But Agnes could only leave the bags at the door, because Guinivere wouldn't open the door to her. Jason had warned his housekeeper of this and she would leave everything on the front porch. Once Agnes was gone and Guin was sure no one was around, she'd bring in the bounty.

Sipping his coffee, he thought over how he still supported her financially and knew he probably will continue doing so for the rest of her natural life. He even had a will that required if anything were to happen to him, she'd have a trust to live off of. Jason worried that Guin traded one prison for another, and he thought seriously about having Dr. Nelson talk to her also. Although he'd have to be there to translate, and to provide support. She didn't do well with strangers at all.

Finally, she placed a tray of sweets that made him groan. Lemon bars, chess bars, red velvet cake, brownies. His teeth hurt just looking at it. He peered back at Guin while she stood by waiting for his approval.

He signed and spoke at the same time, "If I eat all of this, I'll be as big as an elephant!"

She signed back with a mischievous grin, "Then I'll help you eat it and we'll each only be as big as half an elephant!"

Jason smiled at her in response. He was glad she kept her sense of humor as she sat in the other chair across from him, chose a chess bar, and began eating. He chose a lemon bar for himself and did the same thing.

Since Jason viewed Guin as the little sister he never had, he became just as protective of her. She grew up to be a stunning beauty with long shiny dark brown hair that fell almost to her waist and intelligent brown eyes. He saw the way men looked at her when they went to the marketplace together. All it took was a pointed glare from Jason and those men turned away, fast. He also kept a security team that conducted around the clock surveillance on this little cottage, although discreetly. With the exception of himself, Guin was terrified of men and he didn't need one sniffing around and causing her a panic attack.

They talked about superficial things for a while before they finally moved into the living room where he started a fire in the fireplace. When that chore was completed, they sat on the couch in front of the fire, but sitting on opposite ends. There was a topic he had to bring up yet again. The last two times he did this, he crashed and burned. He felt like he had no choice in the matter. He had to get through to her, somehow.

This time she brought in hot cocoa with marshmallows and he teased her, signing, "We have got to do something about this sweet tooth of yours. Your teeth will rot and fall out."

She signed back, "My teeth are just fine!"

A little more seriously, he added, "I'm sure they are, but I need to make a dental appointment soon, just to be sure. You haven't seen a dentist in years."

She looked frightened and belatedly and he remembered why. The one time his mother took her to the dentist was not a pleasant experience. He signed quickly, "Don't worry! I'll be right there. No one will hurt you again, I swear."

Mollified, she settled down with her cocoa and stared into the fire. It was now or never.

He set his cocoa down, turned to face Guin and touched her on the arm to get her attention, then began signing, "Guinee, you know what Mother did to you…. To us…. Was wrong and it wasn't your fault. You realize that, right?"

A dark frown formed over her features as she signed back, "I do not want to talk about _her_."

Jason sighed. He knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Don't you want a normal life? Don't you want friends? Maybe even a man to fall in love with that treats you like a princess? Cherishes you for who you are?"

She looked a little confused and signed back, "But I love you! And you do treat me like a princess."

Jason shook his head and signed while speaking, "Guinee, I love you too, but not in the way a man loves a woman. My love for you is more like a brother toward a sister."

She agitatedly signed back, "No! I love you! Like the romantic love you see in movies, or read about in books. I want to marry you! Only you! I don't want anyone else!"

Inwardly, his heart was breaking, but he had to make himself very clear with her and not give her any false hopes. "Guinee, you only _think_ you love me. I'm the only man you know." She started to turn away, but he turned her back around to face him as he continued signing, "You haven't met anyone to compare to me. You need to experience the world, spread your wings on your own. Meet new people, have fun, get into a little mischief. But with you staying cooped up in this house….. It's not natural. Mother made you afraid of people. I'm here to tell you that you don't have to be afraid. There are a lot of good people out there."

She interrupted him, signing, "I don't understand. You came back for me. You rescued me from that place when I was near death. You took care of me. You did not treat me like a sister, we still shared a bed."

Jason signed quickly, "But no sex! We did not have sex since living here. You were weak and frightened and needed me to sleep next to you to feel safe. You were always under the covers, I was always on top of the covers Guin. Nothing happened and you know it!"

She continued over what he was saying, "You _still_ take care of me Jason! And it's because I belong to you. I am still here for you whenever you need me, however you want me."

Jason jumped up from the couch and began pacing, trying his best to keep his temper in check. He was running his fingers through his hair in agitation, then he turned and faced Guin and signed, "That's Mother talking Guin. You belong to no one! You're free! You can do whatever you want."

"And I want you! She was cruel to me, but you were always gentle. You fought her for me. You killed her so I can be safe. You love me!"

"I didn't kill 'The Bitch' Guin! That was Isabel! Remember?"

"But you conjured Isabel, Jason! I was there when you did it. You said it was to stop 'The Bitch' from hurting me anymore. I'm so glad she didn't kill you too! Doing that, you risked your own life to save mine. You knew Isabel would go after you too, but you did it anyway. You love me! Admit it!"

"Guin, listen to me… I care about you a great deal, but to be honest, this is classic Stockholm Syndrome, where the captive falls for the captor. This relationship?" He gestured between her and himself, then continued signing, "It's _not _real! We are not a couple. Consider me the big brother taking care of a little sister and caring about you like a brother would. I am no longer keeping you captive! You're doing it to yourself! And it breaks me up inside to see you hide from the world."

He knelt before her and signed, "Don't you get it? 'The Bitch' kept you locked up against your will. You're now doing that to yourself! All on your own! You don't have to do that anymore!" He paused to judge her reaction, then continued signing, "'The Bitch' made you an available sex slave for me. That was HER term, not mine. And now you keep trying to do that again to yourself, like you want to be victimized again and again! You keep yourself locked away and only available to me and that's just wrong. Sometimes it's like you keep asking me to hurt you all over again. I won't do it anymore Guin. I will _not_ touch you like that again. You deserve better!" His signing became forceful as he told her, "I _refuse _to do it again! Mother forced us into an unhealthy sexual relationship while we were both still kids. It was wrong and shouldn't have happened."

Big tears were in her eyes. He hated making her cry, but she needed to wake up and not let his Mother win by keeping herself closed off to everyone.

"Don't let 'The Bitch' win Guin!" Jason's eyes were pleading, and to his masculine horror, beginning to get damp too.

"Is it because I'm ugly? Am I not good enough?" She asked as she signed, then sniffed delicately.

Jason gritted his teeth as he grabbed a couple of Kleenex's from the box on the end table, pressing them into her hands. His Mother drilled that into her head for years. She couldn't read sign language in the early days, but he and his mother learned Guin could read lips and knew everything Genevieve had said… and right now, he would like to resurrect her just to kill her again for the mental anguish she put Guin through. He shook his head vehemently and signed, "You're a beautiful woman Guin. You are sweet and gentle and kind and deserve way better than me. You are not ugly. And you never were." He stood quickly and pulled down the mirror from the fireplace, turned on the lamp next to her and made her look at herself in the mirror. He got her attention again and tapped the mirror, then signed, "It's a crime for all that beauty to be locked away inside this cottage for only me to see."

He put the mirror back over the mantel, then sat next to her on the couch with his arm around her shoulders, signing, hoping he was getting through to her, "Mother was a liar Guin. She was cruel, she was mean, and she was heartless. She's now gone. And if you really want to spite her, do everything opposite of what she said. If she said you were ugly, then believe the opposite and know you're beautiful. You are a sweet, intelligent and captivating woman with real talent." He fingered the rainbow afghan on her lap to show what he meant. "Don't let her win Guinee. By staying locked here all on your own she wins."

Guin lowered her head, staring at her lap while shredding her tissue nervously. Jason tilted her face up with a finger under her chin. He stopped signing now, knowing she reads lips well and he said slowly and plainly, "Show her and everybody on this planet that you have control of your own life now. If you need money to get started, it's yours. You're part of my family, so my money is your money. You can go to cooking school, start that bakery you always wanted, or teach knitting classes…"

Guin signed, "How can I teach classes when I can't speak? Not everyone knows sign language."

He began signing again. "Have an interpreter there. The sky's the limit Guin. Whatever you can dream, I can help you make it happen. But, just a warning, if some Prince Charming comes along to try and steal you away, you better let me at least meet him first. I want only the best for my little sister."

Defeated, she lowered her eyes again then laced her hand through Jason's. Then she raised her eyes to meet his and signed with her free hand, "Okay… I'll try."

Jason used a thumb to swipe at a tear on her cheek, gave her a kiss on the forehead and signed back, "Good. That is all I ask. We'll discuss when and how at a later time, okay?"

Her lower lip trembled as she signed, "I'm scared…"

"Come here." Jason motioned and wrapped her in a hug, pulling the afghan over her. They sat like that, staring into the fireplace as he signed, "I'll be right there with you every step of the way Guin. You have nothing to fear."

They said nothing else, just enjoying each other's company until she fell asleep on his shoulder. He carefully maneuvered himself away from her, laid her on the couch and spread the afghan over her. She looked so innocent while asleep. To look at her, one would never believe the atrocities she endured at his mother's hands. And frankly, his hands weren't that clean either.

* * *

_Jason couldn't just stand by any longer and continue to let this happen._

_Guinivere had been living in the basement of the Teague manor for a year now. Day after day, week after week, he was forced to carry out sexual acts with her that would appall most people. But not his mother. Frankly, Genevieve treated the family Rottweiler better than she did a teenaged female deaf-mute._

_He had taught Guin sign language. When he had to choose a course at school in foreign languages, American Sign Language was a course he could take and he jumped at the chance. He needed a way to communicate to Guin without his mother knowing what they said. He and Guin formed an alliance of sorts. They planned ahead when they could if Jason knew what his mother intended. But they could never attack Genevieve herself because she usually had at least two of her bodyguards standing by within shouting distance just in case. They learned that the hard way once, causing Jason to get a tranquilizer dart in his neck for his efforts, then later forced to watch Guin get beaten and raped by his mother's hired thugs._

_Jason knew from then on he had better do as his mother said and at least that way, Guin had some semblance of safety with him. That was one thing he refused to do was to hurt her. She willingly gave and received sex, but he knew that was more out of survival than an actual want for the act. _

_He would sneak down to the basement every chance he could get to tend to her wounds, bring blankets, a pillow, clothing and food. Sometimes he'd bring a space heater too in the winter time. But he had to take the heater back upstairs when he'd leave so his mother wouldn't see it. The act of defiance of just bringing her basic necessities didn't bother Genevieve that much, because she'd take it away the very next day, and Jason would bring it back again the next chance he got._

_This time he had been gone a week, a whole week without Guin knowing where he went. There was a college football scout from Duke University that simply showed up after a game to take him to Duke and show him around. He knew his mother planned this somehow and he was anxious to check on Guin once he got home. He was apprehensive about what he'd find._

_He brought down a fast food bagged meal and soda in one hand, and blankets, pillow and clothing in the other._

_And his suspicions were correct. In the fading twilight coming through the high single window, he could see again the whiplashes on her person, no clothing again, blood and dirt matted all over her and that was when he decided he couldn't keep doing this. She deserved much better than this kind of life._

_He approached cautiously, not wanting to scare her, but apparently smelling food as well as his cologne caused her to raise her head up and peer at him. Before he knew it, she leapt at the bag of food like a starving animal and began taking big mouthfuls of the burger, stuffing the fries into her mouth, causing Jason to want to kill his mother for this. He passed the cherry cola to her and she took big gulps of that through her straw as well._

_She had practically inhaled her food and within minutes, she was finished, searching the bag for any stray fries or a piece of lettuce. Angry there wasn't any more food, she wadded up the paper bag and threw it at him, glaring daggers at him._

_Jason signed, "I'm sorry Guinee. It's been a week, I know, but Mother sent me out of town and I couldn't get back until now."_

_Her eyes didn't soften one bit and he signed again, "I'm so sorry!"_

_She hugged her legs close and tucked her knees under her chin, rocking back and forth, whimpering. Jason could pretty much imagine the horrors Genevieve subjected this poor girl to in his absence. Eventually though, he led her into the single shower stall in the basement. He had her shower as best she could on her own, allowing her some privacy. But there were places on her back she couldn't reach and needed his help. So he had to disrobe and step inside with her._

_He got a good view of all of her bruises and injuries. The whiplashes and numerous bruises on her back made him see red. Hatred for his mother screamed within him and he knew he must do something to stop this NOW. His jaw tightened and his eyes turned cold. When Guin looked over her shoulder at him, she gasped and was about to beat a hasty retreat in fear. Jason realized how he must have looked to her as he wiped his countenance of the murderous look and replaced it with a blank mask. He hurried to reassure Guin and signed, "Guinee, I'm not mad at you. This is not your fault. But I swear to you….." He made sure he had full eye contact with her as he signed, "The Bitch will die! I don't know when or how, but it will happen. I swear."_


	4. Chapter 4

(One month later after moving to England)

_This totally sucks!_

Joey Sullivan hated his new school. This was his third move in his entire life and it had to be to a whole new freaking country.

Being the American in a British school wasn't easy, and it made things hard for an eight year old kid that just wanted to fit in. A month into this school and he still was referred to as the new kid, which made him feel like an outsider.

He remembered the stories his mother and Uncle Clark told about her moving from Metropolis to Smallville when she was thirteen. How Clark Kent and Pete Ross befriended her and how to this very day, they were all still very good friends that kept in touch.

Joey had made one friend in this new school, which helped to some degree. He made sure to learn quickly who the bullies were, because it was always best to avoid them. He now knew who hung out with whom, who the cliques were… and he didn't feel like he fit in with any of them.

The one friend, Jeremiah, was new too, although he transferred from a different city, not from a different country. Unlike Joey, Jeremiah was the shortest kid in the class. Not to mention very timid and shy. For some reason, Joey gravitated towards kids like him. He spoke his mind and was a very open child with a larger than normal vocabulary.

Probably because his mom was a journalist.

Scratch that, his mom is a _columnist_… something she repeated to Joey numerous times within the past few weeks. He really didn't know what the difference was. She wrote for a newspaper. That's all he really needed to know. And he knew his mom wanted to become a journalist, or reporter, or whatever you call it.

Joey heard the teacher drone on and on about how dinosaurs once roamed the Earth, reminding him of those old Charlie Brown cartoons where the teacher sounded like they were saying, "Wah, wah, wah, wah, WAH…" while his mind wondered.

"Psst!" Jeremiah hissed next to him, causing Joey to turn his head tiredly toward him. He saw the note in Jeremiah's hand. Checking to see that the teacher had their back to them writing on the white board, he grabbed the note and opened it carefully.

"I heard PH likes you… a lot!"

_PH?_ He looked around the room and found Priscilla Hudson sitting in the front row, glancing back at him, giggling and turning back around quickly.

_Girls! Why did they have to make friendships and everything else so complicated? _Joey rolled his eyes. All he did was talk to her during lunch. Jeremiah wasn't there, and he found Priscilla sitting by herself. There were no boys by themselves, so he sat with her. It was simply easier to get to know others one-on-one, obtain friends one at a time. She stated she liked his accent. He really didn't even realize he had one. And his quick wit responded, "I like your accent too." Making her giggle more and respond that she doesn't have an accent. He explained if he has an accent to her, then she would have an accent to him. And the conversation just went from there.

She had curly dark brown hair that was fixed with a bow at the top, she wore a pretty pink dress and matching shoes that even he knew probably cost more than his mother made in a week. She was simply too girly for him.

She was nice, but the whole giggling thing could get on his nerves pretty quick.

So he wrote, "Girls… YUCK!" and carefully passed it back to Jeremiah without the teacher seeing him.

Nowadays most kids used texting to message each other, but he didn't have a phone and neither did Jeremiah, so they worked with what they could. His mom couldn't afford it right now. He knew she couldn't afford a lot of things right now, but he knew she loved him and did the best she could. However, it didn't stop him from voicing a complaint once in a while. He did at least have a pretty decent Guitar Hero game that his mom let him play at home… once homework was finished anyway.

While his mom dated Oliver Queen, he bought Chloe and Joey smartphones for each of them, as well as all kinds of computer games for him. Joey wanted to be just like Oliver when he grew up and have tons of money to buy whatever he wanted. They had stayed at Oliver's clock tower in Metropolis, which was the coolest place in the world. Joey sat and daydreamed about how he could possibly get his mom and Ollie back together, so they could again live happily in the clock tower with all the cool toys.

But they had to leave the cool toys behind when they moved, including the smartphones that he used for hours playing games.

Which again, totally sucked!

He hated this school, he hated this country, and he wanted to go back home to Metropolis. Even the Watch Tower, as his mother called the apartment she had, was better than the cramped quarters they currently lived in.

But he knew trying to convince his mom to move back was now a lost cause. He tried several times to talk her out of moving here, to no avail.

Jeremiah tossed the note back onto his desk just before the teacher turned around to face the class. Joey hid the note under a hand and waited until the teacher turned back to the board before opening it.

"Ha! Girls aren't that bad. And PH is pretty. Don't you think so?"

Joey shot a look at his new friend and then wrote, "She's nice, but girls can't do anything fun. They can't get their clothes dirty. You see how she's dressed? AND they are lousy at playing video games. No challenge."

When Joey passed the note back, he smiled to himself watching Jeremiah's brow furrow, trying to read some of the bigger words. That was one talent he had. He was a champion speller and could spell bigger words than most. But he knew his handwriting wasn't the greatest.

His favorite subject was math. He loved numbers and had a talent with them. That's why his next class was advanced math. And he would be there without Jeremiah. But that was okay. He had math to keep him occupied. And it was the last class of the day, which meant he could go home afterward. Peeking at the clock, he had five more minutes of this class to get through.

"Your homework assignment…" the teacher began, hearing all the kids groan. Mrs. Smithson chuckled, "I know, but it's a part of life. Write at least a two page essay on the history of dinosaurs. It's up to you how you want to write it. As in, you can choose a particular kind of dinosaur to write about, or write about all of them." Gaining a more stern facial expression he noted in a firmer voice,"Make sure what you write is fact, not fiction."

At that moment the bell rang. Joey and Jeremiah quickly stuffed their text book and notebooks into their respective backpacks. Joey glanced up and saw that Priscilla was heading their way.

"Hurry up Jeremiah! We gotta go!" he hissed, motioning to Priscilla, but too late, she was already there and she spoke shyly, "Hello Joey."

Joey gulped and actually stuttered when he answered, "Um… hi Priscilla." He grabbed Jeremiah by the back of the collar, he didn't care if his buddy had everything in his backpack. They need to leave. NOW!

"Sorry Priscilla, I can't talk right now, gotta get to the next class. See ya around!" as he rushed out, pulling Jeremiah behind him.

Priscilla frowned as Joey ran out, disappointed that she didn't get to talk to the cute new boy again. But something on the floor caught her eye… a piece of paper. She picked it up and opened it, reading the contents.

And she knew it was a note between the boys, and then she glared at the door.

"Girls can't do anything, hm? I'll show you Joey Sullivan." She murmured to herself as she put the note in her backpack and walked out to head to her next class.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mr. James, I really need to talk to you!", Chloe jumped up from her desk, practically running to catch up to her new boss, who was virtually flying by her on his way to his office.

That was Mr. James for you. Always on the go, and it was hard to keep up sometimes! It made her wonder inwardly if he lived on energy drinks or was just naturally that brisk. She tended to live on cappuccinos herself and still had a hard time keeping up with her boss.

"Is your column completed for the week Miss Sullivan?" Ryan James asked distractedly as he flipped through several pages in his hands, knowing Chloe was trailing behind him. Before she had a chance to answer, he trashed the pages in a nearby waste basket and stopped in his tracks completely, causing Chloe to almost collide into him from behind. James didn't notice as he called out across the bullpen, "Bugger this, Collins, your writing is rubbish. Did you complete any hands-on research whatsoever?"

The whole bullpen suddenly became quiet as everyone watched the exchange. Chloe gulped… maybe this wasn't the best time to bring up the investigative reporter position that was open? She only worked here for a month. He might laugh in her face anyway. But if she always kept her mouth shut, she'll always be stuck in the columnist rut she's found herself in. Her dream was to become a reporter; she had that same dream since she was a child. Someday, somehow, she intended to become an investigative reporter who was out there documenting the action around her instead of stuck behind her desk writing a boring column.

Collins angrily answered back, "I did research it, but I didn't join one of those damn clubs. What kind of ponce do you think I am?"

"Frankly Collins, I thought I hired someone that did more than just research behind a computer's search engine. That's the lazy way out."

"I refuse to join a sex club!"

Everyone gasped at that comment in shock, Chloe's jaw dropped, her eyes widened, and the stack of folders she held fell to the ground and scattered around her feet. At the moment, no one cared. This conversation just got that much more interesting!

"For the love of God, man, I never asked you to join, just PRETEND to join."

"I have a wife and kids. Do you have any idea the kind of flack I would get from my wife? I'd be sleeping on the couch for months and that's IF she lets me stay in the house. No! You will have to fire me before I ever…"

"Fine, it's settled then. You're fired! Pack up your things and get the hell out of my bullpen!"

Chloe's mind whirled quickly. Collins was another investigative reporter for the London Dispatch, he was just fired, which means yet another reporter position opening up. Not that she didn't feel sympathy for the man…he did have a wife and kids…he had a very good reason to say no but she really couldn't think about that right now because yet another reporter position just opened right in front of her.

Before she could think further, Mr. James was walking away to his office, muttering to himself. Chloe hurried to catch up to him and followed him into his office without asking, closing the glass door behind her. James jumped slightly when he turned to sit in his desk chair and found he wasn't alone in his office.

"Sullivan, I do not have time for bull shit, so unless someone is bleeding or dying or…"

"I'll give you your story Mr. James." She announced confidently. At least she hoped it was confidence he heard in her voice, because inwardly, her stomach had butterflies and her knees were probably knocking too. The only thing keeping her upright was the fact that she locked her knees in place.

"Absolutely not." Ryan James shook his head vehemently, "this is not the kind of story for...well…"

Chloe's eyes narrowed on her fortyish, balding boss as he left the last part unsaid. She could fill in the blank pretty quickly because she's heard it before. "A woman? Is that what you were about to say Mr. James?"

Conceding the point, he sighed, "Listen, it's nothing against women, per se. This is just… delicate. There are some underground sex clubs that cater to the BDSM crowd, but they're well hidden in the city. I have heard it said that some members of Parliament and even some members of royalty are a part of some of these clubs. They're very exclusive. It's so underground that some believe this is only a rumor. I just don't want to be responsible for sending in a female that might get hurt. In case you haven't noticed, it's sex that involves bondage, rape, beatings… I don't like the idea of sending a woman into one of these places, especially a little slip of a thing such as yourself. Frankly, you would be eaten alive and I won't take that responsibility. So the answer is no."

Chloe's nerves subsided, but now she was peeved at her boss's audacity. She crossed her arms over her chest, still standing in front of his desk, her tone sarcastic. "A little slip of a thing? Gee, how characteristically chauvinistic of you."

"Miss Sullivan, I'm not trying to be chauvinistic. I would actually consider it chivalrous. I grew up in a society that tries to protect our women and treat them with respect. I chose Collins for this assignment originally, because I knew once inside, he wouldn't get too far into the danger zone. But just like any reporter, he could document what he found. And he could take care of himself if a fight ensued. No investigative reporter worth his salt would just write what he finds about BDSM on a search engine, which is what he did. And to my way of thinking, that is cheating! The reporter has to become part of the story. This article is not only about these underground clubs, but the kind of members they attract."

"And I say again, I can do it."

"Miss Sullivan… please re-think this."

"Mr. James…" Chloe interrupted, "I know I'm new to this newspaper, so you don't really know me. Not really. Let me assure you, I know how to investigate a story. I know how to go undercover to get what I need. I have the training and the know-how, but I can't seem to get anyone to give me a chance. Please give me this chance!"

James still hesitated, so Chloe pushed a different advantage, "You needed this story soon, how long can you give me to research? I can do it in any amount of time you give me. I'll pull Collins' notes from the trash so I know where to start…"

Mr. James sighed, "I have a copy in my email. I printed and trashed it to make a visual point. I need this story but I'm still not convinced that I should allow you to do this. What if you get hurt? You might sue my ass."

"I'll sign a waiver. I want to break into hard news Mr. James. And this sounds like a good story."

"It can be dangerous Miss Sullivan. I would insist you wear a wire."

"That's fine." She quickly agreed.

"I want you armed with mace also, or possibly tranquilizer darts."

"No problem!"

"And I want you to get out of my office because you're not doing this."

"Why not?" Chloe's arms spread akimbo in disbelief, "You want the story and I can make it happen."

"Frankly Miss Sullivan, if anything happened to you while on this assignment, I would never forgive myself. You're a young woman with a full life ahead of you, and you have a young son that needs you."

"You don't have to worry about Joey. I won't take any additional risks BECAUSE of my son and BECAUSE I want to see him grow up and live a full life. I'm not stupid Mr. James, nor am I naïve. I will be disguised, I will be armed to the teeth and I'll wear a wire."

"Then you'll do it without my consent Miss Sullivan. I'm not making any promises, but I will tell you this. Feel free to bring me a story, any news story that's not quite so dangerous or puts you in harm's way within the next week, and I MIGHT consider a position for you on my investigative reporting staff. But also remember you are competing with plenty of other people that are just as qualified, if not more so."

"I'll bring you another story just to prove my worth. Then I'm doing _this story_ Mr. James. And if I land _this_ story for you and I have not blown my cover, nor come to any harm, then you WILL place me on the team of investigative reporters."

James and Chloe scrutinized each other, Chloe standing with her fists on her hips and James making a steeple with his fingers in front of his mouth.

Finally he sighed, "I wouldn't do this if I didn't need the story so badly. Our sales are plummeting lately. And we've worn out the welcome on the last royal wedding and everything the royal couple has done since. We need something new. So okay…" He pointed a finger at her, "Wear a wire, have a weapon handy, these are non-negotiable. And you're on your own regarding falsifying your identity. You need plenty of time for the investigation so I'm giving you two months. I hear there's a screening process and even classes you have to attend. Keep me posted at all times. Take one or two of the sound guys with you that can sit in a van outside and monitor the activity. I also want them to intervene if needed. Do we understand each other?"

Chloe nodded and turned to the door. She turned back just as she opened it and said, "You won't regret this."

As Chloe left, James muttered, "I better not Miss Sullivan."


	6. Chapter 6

_(One week later)_

"Priscilla Hudson? Really? Just kill me now Mom. Why a girl?." Joey whined while Chloe effectively ignored him, her mind made up. But it didn't spare her from Joey's drama as he followed her through the apartment while she was packing a suitcase for him.

Chloe stifled a laugh. Who said females were the only ones full of drama? They apparently never met Joey Sullivan. He could be labeled a drama king easily.

"Joey, I already talked to Dr. Hudson. He agreed to watch you while I'm on assignment. You know him, and I trust him."

"But why didn't you ask Jeremiah's family? They would let me stay!"

Chloe sighed, trying to keep her temper in check. She had to admit she was the one that believed children should express themselves, and she allowed Joey more leeway in voicing his opinions than most parents. But now she was beginning to think she may have to re-visit that piece of childhood rearing… and slap the psychologist silly that wrote that in a child-rearing book and made her think this was the way to go. She wished that just once, Joey would just do as she said without arguing about it.

"I did ask Jeremiah's family first, and they are going out of town for a week. Jeremiah has a sick grandmother in the hospital Joey, and please, keep that in mind when you see him again and show a little empathy."

Chloe finished packing the small suitcase with clothing for Joey, and she walked past him to head to the bathroom to gather toiletries and toss into a small bag that is usually used for a shaving kit. It had once belonged to Jimmy. It was something she couldn't part with so she recycled it for Joey's toiletries.

"You know what Mom? This totally sucks." Joey frowned and folded his arms petulantly. He was annoyed that his mother still wasn't looking at him and she STILL continued to pack his stuff away. It almost felt like she was throwing him away. To Priscilla's family. And he wasn't one bit happy about it.

"Don't say 'sucks' Joey." Chloe answered absent-mindedly as she tossed in toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shampoo.

"Fine… it BITES. It's like you can't get rid of me fast enough."

The anger in his voice caused Chloe to pause in concern and turn to her son. His visage showed pure outrage and she could see in his eyes. That not only was he furious, but he was also hurt and holding on to his hostility to hide it. Apparently her speed in packing had done more harm than good.

The mother in her stopped what she was doing in order to reassure her son, "Oh Joey, that's not what this is about at all." She set everything aside on the counter by the sink and knelt in front of him, making him meet her eyes. "Hear me out okay? There is a story I am tracking to prove my worth as a reporter. Investigative reporters have a higher salary. Once I land this job…"

"IF you do Mom. I'm not stupid you know. This job means more to you than I do!"

"No it doesn't Joey. YOU are always my number one priority. This is for both of us. If I get this reporter job, I will receive more flexible hours and higher pay. I could even work from home. I would actually be around more, not less. And I'll make more money to provide more for you. But I'm going against some heavy competition and I have to prove my worth to my boss. So just be patient with me a little while longer, okay?"

Joey seemed to think about it a moment and then asked slyly, "Do I get new computer games out of this?"

"Joey Sullivan, you know I don't bargain. Once I see how the money is coming in and the bills we have to pay, we'll discuss what we can and cannot buy. And we'll do it as a family, like we always have."

Chloe pulled Joey into a hug. He didn't hug her back at that moment, but she knew her son well enough that he was a bit uncomfortable with motherly affection, especially if he felt she was overdoing it. Or perhaps, in this case, if he was still angry and didn't want to let it go.

"I love you Joey, but my decision is final. You can either help me with the packing or go sit and watch TV until I'm done. I will check in on you every day while out on assignment."

"Why can't Uncle Clark and Aunt Lois come get me?" Joey pouted this time.

"Because they don't have the money to fly over here at any time I call." Chloe hedged slightly, knowing Clark didn't need money to fly over to England. Chloe was still Clark's secret keeper about his heroic alter-ego, and she couldn't even share the news with her son that he personally knew Superman. Clark became very adept at showing a mild-mannered, bookish looking Clark Kent with black framed glasses, suit and hair parted just so… and he purposely made himself appear clumsy to others as Clark Kent to keep people from ever thinking he was actually Superman.

She knew some wondered why Lois Lane, who was beautiful and smart and very much her own woman, would even give Clark Kent the time of day, much less agree to marry him.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything?"Joey asked grudgingly.

"Because eight year old boys don't need to know everything." Chloe grinned at him as she straightened and ruffled his hair, earning a look of annoyance from her son. He reached his hand up to straighten his locks back out a bit, running his fingers through it, and again reminding her of Joey's father.

He used to make that same gesture when he was stressed.

She pushed thoughts of Jason Teague aside as she turned back to her task of gathering toiletries, "So you have a choice Joey. Help me pack, or sit in the living room while I pack for you."

Joey grumbled at that. "I don't win either way… regardless, you're just going to pack me up and ship me off to a bunch of strangers."

"Priscilla is not a stranger to you Joey. As a matter of fact, she was completely excited that you're going to be her playmate for a few weeks."

"Yeah she should…" Joey followed Chloe back to his bedroom as his mother finished up the packing. "She has a crush on me you know. It's really irritating."

Smiling in mischief, she asked lightly, "And why is that?"

"She's so girly Mom. Seriously! Have you seen her? She wears these girly clothes that she has to make sure she doesn't spill anything on, she giggles CONSTANTLY…"

"Joey… haven't you ever thought she could be giggling simply because she likes you and is a little nervous and shy around you?"

"That causes girls to giggle?" Joey asked uncertainly.

"Well it can. Believe me, I think she's just nervous around you. Once she gets to know you better, I think the giggling won't bother you so much, or that she'll stop doing it as often. Give her a chance Joey. You don't have to fall in love with her. Just be nice! You know, that thing people do out of common courtesy and respect." Chloe warned fondly as she locked the suitcase, picked it up and passed it to him.

"Now go put this in the car."

Chloe snickered to herself as Joey mumbled and complained the whole way out the door and down the hall of the apartment complex, heading to Chloe's car. She knew he'd get over it. She wasn't the type of mother to hover and she stood her ground with him when she felt it was necessary.

And this was necessary. Joey needed to interact with females too, and realize that girls were not from another planet. She saw how Priscilla interacted with her son when she picked him up from school a few days ago. She actually already knew Sam Hudson, Priscilla's divorced father, who was Joey's pediatrician. When Chloe took Joey for his check-up and to get established with a new doctor, she found an instant connection with Dr. Hudson. He was in his mid-thirties and had a personality that suited his profession regarding dealing with children and their concerned parents. And then she ran into him again at the school. A parent/teacher meeting, the kind of thing she only attended because of her son. His grades were usually pretty good, and she knew he could do better if she pushed him just a little harder. But she was not that kind of parent. She encouraged good grades, helped Joey obtain the skills to study and be productive with his homework, but she didn't push for excellence. She knew she should, but he had enough to deal with since moving to England.

She was still trying to find her footing with parenting a son as a single mother. She did thorough background checks on every guy that asked her out since Joey was born. Then she would still give it months before they met her son. The men knew she had a son, very few actually stayed around long enough to meet him. There was Jimmy Olsen, whom she was married to briefly before he died a tragic death saving her life. And Oliver already knew Joey beforehand and had developed a relationship with the little boy before pursuing his mother. Otherwise, the JLA knew of Joey and served as extra uncles and aunts to him. Or maybe in Bart's case, it was like a big brother. She had many readily available babysitters in the States, and she realized only now that she didn't have that here in England.

Not yet anyway. It takes time to make new friends.

None of the JLA were allowed to tell Joey of their heroic alter-egos. As far as Joey was concerned, they were all regular people. They all knew children liked to brag. And who wouldn't want to brag about knowing all the superheroes personally? The ones that every other kid only dreamt of knowing?

And that would compromise the JLA, and possibly put Joey, as well as other people, in eminent danger. The times she worked as "Watch Tower" for the JLA, Joey simply thought she was working for Oliver. And, in a manner of speaking, that was true.

But now she was in England, she was far away from Oliver and Tess, and Clark and Lois, and all the rest of them. She had to stand on her own. She needed this job.

She just hoped one day Joey would understand that as she grabbed her purse and jacket, heading out the door.

* * *

Chloe was still trying to get used to driving on the left side of the street in England, which pretty much meant she needed all of her concentration on the road.

Not an easy feat when you had a complaining child in the passenger seat.

Her patience wearing thin, she finally gritted out, "Joey, my mind is made up. You're staying with Priscilla and her father, end of story. And if I hear one more complaint out of you, so help me, you will be grounded just as soon as I get back. And you know I have a memory like an elephant so don't push me."

The car was suddenly quiet. Chloe glanced over at Joey, who slumped in his seat and stared out the window glumly. She knew he'd get over it. However, she never liked pulling the "I'm the parent, do as I say." card. She felt she had no choice now, because otherwise he would have continued bugging her, trying to wear her down.

They rode in tense silence the rest of the way to the Hudson home… it felt like the longest five minutes of Chloe's life. But she knew Joey had to learn he couldn't always get his way.

* * *

"They're here Daddy!" Priscilla jumped up from the window seat of her father's sitting room, dashing toward the door.

"Slow down Princess, they will get to the door soon enough."Dr. Sam Hudson chuckled good-naturedly as his little girl ran by him and threw open the front door. Then he muttered as he got up from his easy chair, "But not before my little girl drags them in here."

Sam followed the direction his daughter went but a little more sedately. He actually found his daughter's puppy love to be kind of endearing. And Joey's disdain for girls was downright funny. And his reasons, from what Priscilla told him, sounded like most typical eight year old boys.

Smiling to himself, he knew his daughter was just like him and would insist on proving herself. And he knew little Joey Sullivan was going to get the surprise of his life.

As Chloe slowed her car to a stop in the Hudson driveway, she warned, "Now Joey, you're going to be on your best behavior. Do exactly as Dr. Hudson tells you. If I ever hear a peep that you misbehaved, you're grounded."

"Whatever." Joey mumbled as he unlatched his seat belt and reached for the door. Chloe placed a hand on Joey's arm to stop him and make him look at her.

"No… not 'whatever', you will do it. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Joey muttered and started again to get out of the car when he heard his mother say, "Oh, and no frogs."

That caught Joey's attention as he turned back to his mother, closing the door again. "What?"

"No frogs. At all. Not down her shirt, not in her hair, not in her bed, not in the shower… not even in the house."

"But Mom… "

"If she wants to play with a frog, fine. If not, don't push it. And guess what? Priscilla is here now." Chloe whispered as she waved and smiled brightly at the little girl practically bouncing in the driveway. Joey turned to look at her, then turned back to his mother with wide eyes.

"What happened to the frilly dress?"

Chloe chuckled as she looked over Priscilla's attire, a far cry from her school clothes. Overalls, baseball cap and tennis shoes. All of which looked well-worn and perfect for playing in the dirt if she chose to do so.

"Some people wear play clothes to play, and school clothes for school Joey. Unlike you, who wears jeans and t-shirts chronically."

Chloe stepped out of the car, keeping her bright smile for Priscilla's sake, and for her father, who just exited his house to catch up with his daughter.

"Hello Priscilla… Dr. Hudson. I sincerely appreciate this."

Joey got out a little slower, but kept staring at Priscilla like she had just sprung a new head. She giggled, "What's the matter, silly? Cat got your tongue?"

Joey realized at that moment that he was staring. He blinked, then squared his shoulders. He shrugged as he opened the back seat to get his stuff, pretending it didn't matter. "Just not used to seeing you in pants, that's all."

Priscilla followed him as she answered, "Can't climb trees in a skirt. And there's a really big tree in my back yard. With a tree house. Wanna see?"

Joey pulled out his suitcase, jacket and toiletries bag, but his head tilted in interest to her. "Tree house? Really?" Trying to pretend to be uninterested was not an option at the moment. Any eight year old kid that was not afraid of heights beamed at the thought of a tree house. It was the dream home to a kid. It's where secret meetings were held, where you could pretend school and homework didn't exist.

"Yes, I'll show you. After I show you to your room, we'll go out the back door. You can get into the tree house either by climbing the tree itself or using the rope ladder. It's a lot of fun. Come on!"

Priscilla took his jacket and toiletries bag, leaving Joey with the suitcase. He smirked, "If you're so boyish all of a sudden, why don't you carry my suitcase too?"

Priscilla grinned back, "Because I'm still a girl and you can handle your own suitcase. Now come on lazybones."

Joey lugged his suitcase as he yelled out after her, "Lazy bones? I am NOT lazy!"

At the door, Priscilla peeked back at him, taunting him. "Race ya upstairs!"

"Hey no fair! I'm carrying a load here!"

But she was already gone, and Joey looked back at his mom, rolling his eyes.

"Mom… are you SURE you don't wanna change your mind about this stupid business trip?"

The parents chuckled and Chloe nodded, "Yes Joey, I'm sure."

With a long suffering sigh, Joey went into the house, calling for Priscilla. Chloe turned her attention to Dr. Hudson. He was a handsome man, and she could see Priscilla received a lot of her looks from her father. The same color of dark brown hair, the same blue eye color, the same olive complexion. He met her eyes and grinned conspiratorially, "You know, my girl is going to put your boy through the wringer several times over for that note he passed to his friend about her. She feels she has something to prove and by Jove, I'm going to let her prove it."

"More power to her." Chloe murmured with a grin. "After all, Joey needs someone to put him in his place. Though I don't know where he gets this idea that girls can't do anything. He sees me doing everything."

"That's different. You're his Mum. You're expected to do everything. He just hasn't pieced it together within his head that you were a little girl once too."

"It still doesn't really make sense to me, but I know he'll outgrow it. Make sure Priscilla isn't too hard on him though. I agreed to this with you only to give Priscilla the chance to show him how wrong he is about her. You do know you'll probably have fireworks between them and you'll be in the middle of that drama."

"I can handle it." Sam reassured her confidently. "I deal with children all day long as a pediatrician. Who better to deal with it than me?"

She nodded, "True that."

Sam gestured up his walkway, "Let's go through the house to the back yard. It is actually quicker that way than through the walkway. I wager ten pounds that they are getting along swimmingly at this very moment."

Chloe tilted her head at Sam in thought. She knew how cantankerous Joey had been the last few hours and he may take it out on Priscilla. So she shot him a mischievous grin, holding out her hand.

"You're on!" Chloe agreed, shaking hands with Sam. "Ten pounds huh? Well it won't make me rich but if I win, it's ten pounds I didn't have before."

"We shall see, Ms. Sullivan." He answered as he placed a hand on the small of her back to lead the way to the front door.

"Call me Chloe." She told him.

"And you may call me Sam." He declared as he led her inside the entryway and closed the front door.

"Follow me." He gestured to the back door across the house, but you had to pass through a large vestibule and hallway to get there. Once there, he opened the back door for her and allowed her through first, before he stepped through.

It didn't take long for Chloe to hear the squabbling and to hold her hand out to Sam, who deftly reached for his wallet and placed a ten pound note in her hand. "You know this is one of those moments where I say 'I told you so'." The rest was left unsaid.

"Your rope ladder needs to be fixed!"

"No, you need to learn to climb one!" Priscilla retorted in agitation.

"I know how to climb a stupid rope ladder!"

"Apparently not, because you broke it!"

"It's old and needs to be fixed!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

Priscilla just sounded resigned, "Well I guess because of your big feet, we have to get back down using the tree itself. I'll show you."

"I can climb up and down trees better than you can!"

"Can not!"

"Can too!"

"Guys?" Chloe intervened, calling up the tree. Two heads poked out from the tree house, one boy and one girl.

"Yeah Mom?" Joey asked.

Chloe grinned up at him, "I'm about to go… wanna at least tell me goodbye?"

Joey gave her a half wave, "Bye Mom, have a safe drive to wherever you're going."

"No hug?" Chloe prodded. She looked over at Sam and gave him a wink, then turned back to Joey, seeing his indecision.

Priscilla taunted him, "Yeah Joey, find your way down there and give your Mum a hug… unless you need help?"

"I don't need help from a girl." Joey groused as he looked down from the tree house from different angles.

Chloe turned back to Sam with a smirk and winked at him, "I think these next few weeks won't be boring for you in the least."


	7. Chapter 7

At times like this, Chloe couldn't believe the lengths she'd go through in order to obtain a story. Sneaking into a morgue to get fingerprints and a retina scan. And then having one of Ollie's contacts make contact lenses using the retina scan she obtained from a dead Latina Jane Doe in the morgue. Filling out all the paperwork, using her alias "Maria Sanchez", wearing a dark wig, colored contacts (brown, to hide her green eyes), and even a fake set of teeth to help her authenticate the part of a Latina woman.

Then joining the club under a fake name, having to use her computer hacking skills to provide a fake background. And the week of classes. Classes! She could apply for the Domme position right away, every Dom and Domme has been a submissive at one time to know what it feels like and how far to push. So on this evening, Chloe knelt on the floor with her wrists bound in metal cuffs in front of her. A chain led from the cuffs to the wall above her head. Her clothing... what little she was wearing anyway, showed off her assets but actually made her feel somewhat self-conscious. She was wearing a bra that simply displayed her breasts instead of hiding them, pushing them up and together. And a brief mini-skirt with a thong...

She knew some of the subs were actually naked. She just couldn't bring herself to go that far. The sub women lined one wall, the men down another wall. And even some of those men were naked. And what was gross were some of the OLD men that were naked.

Ick! Wrinkled…flabby…if it could flex and shouldn't, something was wrong.

A Dominatrix was walking in front of the submissives giving instructions.

"Remember, you're nothing. You're no better than the scum on our shoes. Your only joy is to make your Dominant happy, however he or she wants. You do as they say immediately, no questions asked. You keep your eyes on the floor. Right now!" She cracked the whip in the air and yelled, "Eyes down! Now!" and Chloe quickly lowered her eyes.

"You stay kneeling on the floor; keep your head and eyes down. A Dominant chooses you; you belong to the Dominant for the night." Then Chloe saw the stiletto boots of the Dominatrix turn toward the door as she called out, "Bring them in!"

Chloe prudently kept her eyes lowered, but her lashes were long enough to peer through and scan the twenty or so people coming in. One of them caught her eye and she gasped, quickly lowering her eyes again.

_Jason? Did I just see Jason Teague?_

She checked again to be sure. And sure enough, it was him. He was dressed a bit differently than she remembered. He wore mirrored sunglasses, a mustache and goatee (that made her wonder if it was fake or real), a wife beater shirt that showed off the muscles in his forearms and biceps, jeans and boots. On his hands, he wore fingerless, leather gloves and was carrying... is that a riding crop? No… that was a leash!

Chloe's internal battle raged within her, her panic growing.

_Jason Teague! If he recognizes me, he'll blow my cover! _

A man stepped in front of her and barked, "Stand up!"

She almost did it until she realized he was barking at the woman next to her.

_Whew! That was close!_

And then Chloe's mind took off in a different direction. If she is going to go through with this, she'll more than likely have to have sex. What will she do? She knew she had a couple of tranquilizer darts hidden in the hairpins of her hairpiece just in case she needed them, but would she really want to subject herself to someone that might not have any scruples in regards to their treatment of her?

Maybe it is better for Jason to notice her. Because if she was going to experience any of this, the one you know is usually better than the one you don't. Right?

She watched Jason's progress as he walked slowly down the line of submissives. In order to get his attention and only his attention, what could she do? Her mind whirred with ideas. Should she cough? No, that will get the attention of the guy checking out the girl next to her and she didn't want that.

She could make eye contact though... with only Jason.

She didn't stop to think about it any further because he was getting closer to her now. It was now or never. When he was almost directly in front of her, she clinked her chain slightly and raised her eyes, catching his.

She saw his eyes widen, and then narrow on her. A whip crack sounded just above her head, making her jump.

"Eyes down sub!" The Dominatrix yelled, which Chloe did quickly. She hoped her ruse worked. She heard Jason say, "Wait a minute..." Then she saw him crouch next to her. He grabbed her chin kind of hard, not enough to bruise, but firm enough to raise her head. She kept her eyes down though as per the rules until he demanded, "Look at me!"

She met his eyes as he studied her. Recognition dawned in his eyes, which relieved her inwardly. But he leaned closer to her in an intimidating manner and hissed in a fake cockney English accent, "You will learn to NEVER defy authority again little one... I may have to fuck the rebellion out of you. How would you like that?"

Chloe didn't know this man any longer as she gulped audibly at his words. This was not the same college kid she knew nine years ago. He was now a man with a steely determined look that at this moment was scaring her beyond reason!

He released her chin and pointed at the floor, "Eyes down." Then stood. Chloe did as she was told and could hear Jason say, "I'll teach her a lesson. I want this one."

Then he commanded, "Stand up." She glanced up at him in confusion and he yelled, "Eyes down! Stand up! I am NOT going to tell you again."

She quickly stood, keeping her eyes on his shoes and debating the wisdom of what she's done.

"Chin up, look at the ceiling." Jason demanded and Chloe immediately complied, shaking slightly in nervousness.

_Get a grip Sullivan! He would never hurt you!_

She felt Jason place something around her throat. It felt like it was made of leather and she wondered what he was doing?

"Turn around, face the wall." he ordered, using a hand on her shoulder to actually make her turn around and do as he said. She gulped in slight fear as she felt the leather thing being fastened behind her neck.

The thickness of it, the material against her skin…_A collar? I'm wearing a fucking collar?_

Jason actually attached a leash to the front of her collar and leaned in close to nip her ear and whisper, "Play along, I'll get us somewhere private... we need to talk!"

He barked an order to the female Dominatrix, "Unchain her. I'm taking her with me."

Once she was unchained, she still had the cuffs around her wrists. But at least she could now step away from the wall. Jason stepped back and tugged the leash slightly, causing her to stumble back toward him.

He grabbed her by the hairpiece, but was apparently careful to not pull it off. He hissed loud enough for the nearest people to hear. "For your insubordination I should make you crawl on all fours. Do it again, and I will. Understand?"

"Yes." Chloe answered.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes... sir?" Chloe asked uncertainly, casting pleading eyes to Jason. _You make me say master and I will clobber you! Exposure or not!_

But Jason seemed to be satisfied as he commanded, "Come along then." He walked ahead, pulling Chloe behind him with the leash.

This was fucking humiliating, but in some ways, exhilarating too.

Jason led her through the main lobby to a corridor with several choices of rooms. During her "training class" she knew these rooms were called "dungeons" by the regulars. And Jason was apparently a regular because he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a key, palming it in his hand. He suddenly stopped and faced her, tugged the leash to where she stumbled into his arms and he pushed her with his body against one of the doors and kissed her.

This completely took Chloe by surprise and she wondered why he was doing this here in front of others? But then she realized that was probably the reason. He had to keep up appearances.

His mouth nibbled down her jaw to her earlobe as he whispered, "Camera, two o'clock!" Chloe looked over his shoulder and to the right a bit and found what he was talking about in the corner.

Then she heard Jason unlock the door, open it and push her inside.

Closing and locking the door behind him, he released Chloe, leaned his shoulders back against the door, folded his muscular arms and smirked.

"Sullivan, it's great to see you again... but what the HELL are you doing?"


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note, again there is no beta so I just did the best I could with this. Hope you enjoy it anyway. :)_

* * *

"Sullivan, it's great to see you again, but what the HELL are you doing?"

"Nice to see you too Jason." Chloe murmured with a slight smirk.

"You didn't answer my question." he stated flatly.

He unclipped the leash from her collar and walked over to a nearby table, setting it down. He sat in the chair next to it, completely relaxed as he stated, "I'm waiting…"

She turned off the microphone under her bra strap and the camera. He narrowed his eyes, "You're recording this?"

"Not anymore." She told him.

He held out his hand, "Give them to me. The microphone and the camera. I will not have my name plastered in the papers. Who are you working for anyway? Are you still with the Daily Planet?"

"No, the London Dispatch." She dutifully removed the microphone and camera, although she had to reach under her breast to remove the wires.

"So you're investigating a story?" Jason guessed as she handed him her electronics, he sat them on the table.

"Correct on the first try."

"Chloe, first off, you don't strike me as the type that would be here. Girl next door wanting to explore her kinky side? Yeah right. So I knew that wouldn't be it, and the process of elimination brought me to investigative reporting. Second, I'm VERY protective of my private life. To the point of absolute control freak protective. I will not give you permission to mention me in any way in your article. I will happily sue every single employee at the London Dispatch and deny everything. I'm very good at covering my tracks Chloe. Don't ever cross that line."

"Look, Jason, let me explain my side okay?" She took the opposite chair from him and folded her hands on the table. "I am a columnist currently at the Dispatch now, but several years ago, I thought Lex Luthor squashed my dream of ever becoming an investigative reporter."

Jason nodded, "What did you do to piss him off?"

Chloe shrugged, "Let's just say I'm very good at my job."

Jason grinned, "You found something on him."

"And he knew I did and I was effectively fired before I could even blink. Tess Mercer hired me back as a columnist, then I got a transfer here. But I really want to sink my teeth into investigative journalism again. My editor wanted this story idea of BDSM clubs, and to be honest, I know he wants names of members. And now that I know you're here… I can't do that."

"Good girl, glad to see you still have your scruples. However, I don't think you realize what you walked into here."

"You might be right about that but I could have backed out at any point this week during those training classes, and I didn't. Because I want this story. And I could use your help."

Jason sighed, "Chloe, I don't know… this is really an alternate lifestyle for some people where they live it in their homes 24/7. I, however, just like to role play the Dom in the bedroom or here at the club. Outside of the bedroom I'm simply the same business man that goes to work every day and works my ass off to keep my company going strong. This is a form of stress relief in some ways. I find like-minded women that want to play too. I like control, I like power, it gives me a rush."

"Just for your pleasure?" Chloe asked doubtfully and Jason shook his head. Grinning evilly he answered, "Oh no sweetheart, pleasure would be mutual for both parties. Have you ever heard of a forced orgasm?"

"I guess that's just what it sounds like."

He shrugged, his eyes lasering into hers, "Pretty much, but I don't think you totally understand the depth of it." Jason leaned forward, his eyes alight with mischief. "Women are notorious for having the ability to obtain multiple orgasms. My way of 'punishing' my sub is usually either forced orgasm… or delayed or thwarted orgasm. Either way you're tied down and at my total mercy."

He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "You're curious. Admit it Chloe." Jason stated knowingly, smirking. "Let me see if I can shed some light on it. I tie a sub down on the bed, preferably on their back, totally naked. Their wrists would be tied above their head to the headboard. Their knees would be tied to the bed frame where they are totally spread and exposed for me to do as I want. And I make sure they can't bring their legs together."

Jason noticed Chloe's nipples were pushing against her bra, giving him intense satisfaction. He really would have enjoyed taking his time sucking on them again. It's been far too long since he last saw those breasts.

"By the way Chloe, the mind…" he tapped his temple and then winked at her, "the best erogenous zone you have. Just the words are turning you on aren't they?" He was thoroughly enjoying her squirming, and therefore he pushed his luck a little as he continued. "I like to use wand massagers for this little practice because their vibrations are pretty intense." He pointed at some cables above their heads, "As you can see, this club has a cable that hangs down from the ceiling that I can attach my own wand massager to and just let it hang right on your pussy…and turn it on high and stand back and watch you."

_Whoa!_ Chloe's eyes widened and her mouth parted in shock.

"For a while I'd just sit back watch and stroke myself as I watch you writhe and moan. You can't move away from it. It will bring you to orgasm pretty quickly. And once you come, well your sensitivity will drive you crazy, but you won't be able to get away from it. And before long, you'll come again. And maybe a third time. And on that third time around, when you're coming really hard again, I use my hand to press it against your clit hard. You will scream, you'll possibly cry, you will probably beg me to stop and you might even pass out. But once you come to Chloe… then, I would fuck you hard and fast. As a matter of fact, I'd probably release your knee bonds and flip you over where I can enter your pussy from behind while using the massager again on your clit while I fuck you."

"I don't really think I could handle that kind of … um, overload."Chloe cleared her throat and tried to stifle the urge to fan herself with her hand.

"Oh you'd be surprised what your body can handle Chloe." Jason's smile was positively evil. "Welcome to my world! This is what I do for kicks, the club is exactly the extra-curricular activity I need to de-stress from my job. I love making women beg for me, I love getting them off or driving them crazy. And they love it. I check their history thoroughly regarding their likes and dislikes and I keep them in mind during role play. Some like me to be more aggressive than others."

"What's in it for you Jason? If you're giving all of these orgasms, what do you get out of it?" _There has to be a gimmick._

"Control." Jason stated flatly. "Absolute domination. I decide everything. When you orgasm, when you don't, for how long or maybe not at all for several hours, but I DECIDE."

"Do you use those whips or floggers or riding crops?" Chloe asked a little uncertainly, glancing over on the far wall where they were hanging, waiting for the next person to use them.

"Only if my sub is into that. Not really my thing. And I don't think it would be yours either. But if you ever wanna try it…" Again, Jason's full wattage smile was positively evil at this moment.

Chloe raised a hand to ward off what he was saying, "No, that's okay. I can do without being whipped, thanks."

Jason's demeanor was now more humorous, "How about being spanked?"

"No thank you."

"Damn!" he snapped his fingers, "spanking that ass would have been really hot."

Chloe gave him a warning look so he waved it off. "Okay, I'll let that slide… and the wand massager thing… that wouldn't happen often. I like my subs to be… shall we say… _sensitive _to my touch. A massager or vibrator tends to numb you after repeated use."

Jason finally stood up and walked around to her side of the table, leaning into her chair, "I'm going to let this go for now. Take the collar with you. When you decide to give it 'the old college try' call the club and set up the appointment. They'll contact me to confirm. Oh, and my name here is Devon Sparks." He whispered into her ear, "I would love to fuck your brains out… as long as you keep my name out of your article, I'll show you and tell you everything you need to know."

She leaned back to meet his eyes, "Full disclosure? You'll show me everything here that you possibly can in two weeks?"

He crossed his heart and answered "You have my word Chloe. But for tonight, go home. I'll get your number from the front desk. What name are you using?"

"Maria Sanchez."

He nodded, committing the name to memory,"And when we're together Chloe, once we're safely inside one of the dungeons, I want you to get rid of that hideous wig, contact lenses and fake teeth… I want to see YOU." He passed her the surveillance equipment and walked to the door, "Now, go home. We'll talk again."


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note - I'm posting two chapters at the same time so be sure to go back and read the previous one too._

* * *

"There are days Doc, I feel so fucked up in the head that I wonder if I'm going crazy."

"Jason, you're going to go through a lot of emotions during this process of re-evaluating yourself. Let me assure you, you are NOT crazy. I would like to make mention the term 'crazy' is not one I like to use anyway."

"I just told you about being a private member of a BDSM sex club where I am a registered Dominant under an assumed name. I have also told you in my teen years I have actually killed people under my mother's orders, I was pimped out to her friends, I was forced to rape and beat my foster sister…Hell, I even allowed a couple of my friends to be used by my mother for her own twisted purposes, and I allowed it to happen, grateful that it wasn't ME… and you're telling me I'm not crazy?" Jason was in disbelief as he paced his study, nursing another scotch and running the fingers of his free hand through his hair in agitation. "You're just placating me Doc. I know better."

Dr. Nelson could see the struggle within the current Duke of Winchester as he calmly explained, "Jason, first off, many successful couples use sexual role play in their lovemaking. It's completely normal. As long as both are consenting adults and they each agree to what's being done and set a few ground rules such as safe words, I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Hah! This isn't lovemaking Doc. This is fucking. I don't DO lovemaking." Jason answered coldly, glaring at the doctor.

Dr. Nelson didn't seem to be a bit affected by Jason's tone. He simply gave Jason a raised eyebrow, his doubt obvious, "Oh I see… So you are saying in nearly thirty years of your life, you never came close to simply making love to a woman? Someone that cared about you too? That it was always just about sex and getting your rocks off, as you so eloquently put it earlier?"

That made Jason pause as he sipped his drink. Swallowing, he sat down heavily in an easy chair. After a few minutes of silence and staring into his scotch glass that was now empty of the liquor, he sighed, "Once." he muttered.

"Okay, and how did that experience make you feel?"

Jason wasn't used to thinking about his "feelings" regarding experiences of his past, but Dr. Nelson was forcing him to evaluate them. He sat his tumbler on a coaster next to his elbow as he shrugged, "I don't know... vulnerable?"

"Vulnerable... how?"

"Damn it Doc, do I really have to over-analyze every little feeling in my life?"

"It would be good practice if you did once in a while. But I'm pointing this one out for a reason. Why did it make you feel vulnerable? That was an interesting choice in wording."

Jason thought back to the past, back to a high school senior who was perky and smart and had the greenest eyes that sparkled with mischief, and blond hair that was as soft as silk. And the night they had sex at her house... and during the night, getting next to no sleep. And then the following morning, especially that morning. Because he knew that was probably going to be the last time he would be with her, and it turned out he was quite accurate in that assumption. Until he saw her again, a little older and more mature, totally rocking her little outfit at the BDSM club a couple of nights ago.

He wanted to make sure his time with Chloe was memorable for her. Then and now. Not because he considered himself some kind of stud. But because she was the first girl that actually gave him a little bit of happiness within a dark world. She made him feel alive, and... loved perhaps? Women generally hang around him for what he can give them, whether it's due to his wealth or his prowess in the sack. But Chloe was already different somehow and he couldn't help always feeling drawn to her.

Actually, she was quite literally the reason he is alive today. Thinking back to the day he was shot by Lionel Luthor. Jason still remembered the force of the bullet penetrating his shoulder and propelling him off the high cliff into the water below. Once he hit the water, it had knocked him out, and apparently his body floated downstream. He often wondered if there really was some higher power watching out for him because he woke up on a muddy bank, out of the water, but every muscle in his body had been in pain.

The rest of what happened was a pain-filled blur in his mind. He remembered stealing an old farmer's truck. He remembered driving it to his dorm. But try as he might, he couldn't remember making it into his dorm. He did remember Chloe being there; looking worried and scared out of her mind. He remembered forcing himself to stay conscious long enough to emphatically insist on no ambulances and no doctors. Once assured that she wouldn't call anyone, that's when he felt safe enough to rest.

And he woke up to being completely healed. No muscle soreness, no bullet wound, and if he would have had the time, he would have thanked Chloe in a physical way. He had to settle for a kiss before he walked out of her life. To him, Chloe had been an absolute angel.

And now she's back.

"Jason, you haven't answered my question." the doctor prodded gently after he made a few notes on his legal pad.

"Well, maybe you might not call it lovemaking with her either... she was a high school senior, I was in college. But... I dunno Doc. She wasn't as experienced as me, everything seemed new to her, although I know she wasn't a virgin. I'm kind of assuming alcohol was involved in her previous sexual encounter and according to her, she had received no pleasure out of that experience... so..."

"You wanted her to enjoy the experience with you?"

"Absolutely... so if you wanna call that lovemaking, that's as close to an experience in lovemaking that I ever had… I might have even taken advantage of her a bit… she had issues with self-esteem back then, which makes me wonder now if I really was just a substitute for someone else..." Jason momentarily thought of Clark Kent. Jason held no anger toward him any longer. Anger and resentment were a waste of time. Besides, Kent moved on to Lois Lane. He saw the engagement announcement in the paper recently.

"But your feelings for her were genuine?"

Jason shrugged, "As much as they could be at that time. Keep in mind I was still under my mother's thumb. As a matter of fact, I actually had to leave Chloe to kidnap Lex Luthor... and I told you about what happened there. That kind of shows you how twisted my life was at that time. I had intended to break away from my mother after that. All I had to do was to help her obtain this precious artifact she was so obsessed about, and she thought the Luthors had possession of it."

Dr. Nelson held his fingers in the shape of a steeple and continued listening to Jason, watching his body language carefully as well as listening to his words… "Mother thought I was in love with another girl back then. Lana Lang. Hell!" Jason laughed a little, "Even Lionel Luthor thought I was in love with Lana... and yeah, I had some feelings for her at one time until I found out my mother set us up. So after my break up with Lana, I got to know her best friend Chloe. And to be honest, she deserved way better than me. I think she was definitely better off without me."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I'll repeat, I'm too fucked up for a woman and I'll wind up fucking her up too. I just admitted a few minutes ago that I get off on power and control in the bedroom. I don't see Chloe agreeing to be a slave to my master, if you know what I mean. So I get 'my jollies' from the club. I find like-minded women that get off on being the submissive. That way, everybody gets what they want and everyone is happy."

"Well, you know I have to ask, does anyone get hurt physically during these sessions at the club?"

"Oh no! Not by me anyway. Some of these women like to be whipped with these riding crops and I always pull back when I use it... I make sure I don't break the skin."

"Because you saw your mother do the same with your foster sister, and with one of your friends, and the impact it had on them?"

Jason's mind had flashes of Guin being whipped, and of Jackson going through the same thing while being cuffed to his mother's bed... his football buddy, who actually agreed to be fucked by his mother... he never could understand the appeal.

Jackson changed dramatically after his experience with Genevieve... and he's actually now one of the male submissive members at the club!

"Yes..." Jason answered quietly, and then he jokingly asked, "Is this session over yet?"

"That's up to you Jason. It's your money."

"And now Chloe is back, she is here in London."

"The high school senior you told about? How many years ago was this?"

"Nine… and I find myself more drawn to her now than ever. She knows about the club now, she knows somewhat about what I do there. Newbies at the club I tend to bypass. I usually pick one of the regulars. But there she was, bold as brass, and admitted she was doing a story on the place. She's a columnist for the London Dispatch, fighting for a reporter job. I should get far away from her just due to that, but… for some reason I can't. Do you see what I mean when I say I am a fucked up mess?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note - I have re-written this chapter probably three times, I'm not a phone sex expert but I tried to make it as hot as possible. I would really like feedback on this. Like it, hate it, let me know._

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Jason asked Chloe for probably the tenth time since the start of the conversation. He sat back in his office chair staring out at the London skyline before punching a button on his desk that lowered the shades for privacy. His Bluetooth in his ear blinked blue as he stood, nervous energy coursing through him as he paced around his office. He would be in his element if she agreed to do this, but he made damn sure he knew about her likes and dislikes beforehand. This was for her article and to keep his name out of the papers.

And to have a little fun too. He really missed Chloe. He wanted to give her a taste of what his life was like. And if he could possibly convince her to agree to role play more often in the future without this article hanging over his head, that would be the icing on the cake for him.

He had two weeks to give her a crash course into his world. This was step one.

Chloe, in her modest hotel room, had her own Bluetooth as she paced similarly, "I'm sure. You've been great in helping me feel more comfortable about all of this, but I have to admit, this is a new experience and I'm nervous."

"That's normal. Above all, do you trust me?"

"Yes I do."

Jason breathed a sigh of relief. He dimmed his lights in his office. He had just wrapped up his day's work about ten minutes before calling her. Since the commute to home was about twenty minutes, he decided to just do this here in his office instead of being late for their appointment.

"What are the safe words, Chloe?"

"Meteor rock."

Jason chuckled, "Only someone from Smallville would come up with that."

"Don't knock it buddy… I spent the first twelve years in Metropolis though."

"Ooooh bad city girl! Ha ha!" He heard her huff into the phone, "I'm kidding. Okay, another thing, during this I'm going to call you some really derogatory names sometimes. Are you okay with that? In the bedroom I do that once in a while, out of the bedroom not so much. Words such as bitch, whore, slut, cunt, fuck toy, fuck doll… any of this turn you off?"

"I can handle it."

"Good to know. Finally, unless you safe word me, you do exactly as I say when I say it. Just follow me and I swear I can make you come. But safe word me if it gets a little too intense. So are you ready?"

Jason sat down in his office chair and reclined back as Chloe nervously answered, "Yeah, I think I am."

"Then you better get your ass in that bed right now sub." Jason lowered his voice authoritatively and listened, "NOW bitch! Don't make me wait!"

She giggled and he pretended anger, "Are you laughing at ME? You'll pay for that."

"No, I'm not laughing." She stifled her laughter as best she could.

"Yeah you are and I don't take that kindly at all. Remember that in the future. Are you in the bed now?"

"Yes."

"What are you wearing?" Jason demanded.

"Just a robe, completely naked underneath like you told me, sir."

"Good. I like obedience. Now you're going to prove it so I know you're not lying to me. There are dire consequences for lying. I want you to open your robe and take a picture right now. Text it to me immediately."

She got quiet and he demanded, "NOW, you better do what I say or your ass is mine."

His phone beeped and he checked it, sure enough there was a picture of Chloe from the waist up, showing she held the phone above her head and took a picture. Those breasts, God he missed those as he stifled a groan. It made him want to suck her nipples and fondle them all over again…Damn, it has really been too long since he last touched them!

"Good girl. Now, I want you to place your fingers within your pussy and play with yourself. SLOWLY, don't want you coming before I'm ready for you to do so."

He waited a moment, giving her a little time and eventually asked, "Are you doing it?"

"Yes…" she answered hesitantly.

"Yes, what?" He asserted, smirking a bit.

"Yes sir."

"Remember that. You are my sub, I'm your superior, you're just the fuck toy for my pleasure, do you understand me?"

This was a totally different side to Jason than she ever knew, and it did strangely turn her on.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now, I want you to increase the pressure on your clit, hard and fast, and at the same time, play with one of your nipples."

He heard her intake of breath, and gave it a moment. Not hearing anything besides that, he demanded, "I don't hear you moaning bitch!"

Then he heard her moan and damn! It went straight to his cock. He caressed his fly while listening to her.

"Do you like that?" He asked hoarsely, adjusting himself as she moaned out a "Mmmm hmmm." He grinned as he ordered softly, "Say thank you."

"Thank you sir." She breathed out. God he hoped he could get the real thing soon!

"That's better… are you wet?"

"Yes, very."

"Good, stop right there and take another picture of your pussy. Just spread your legs out naturally and relaxed and send it to me."

He gave it a moment until his phone beeped again. When he checked the picture he nearly swallowed his tongue while his eyes widened.

Now THAT is sweet! Memories of being within her resurfaced, memories of feeling her tight sheath around him started to infiltrate his mind. He had to stifle a groan.

"Good girl." He praised, and then had to clear his throat because it sounded a bit hoarse. "Now, this toy you told me you have?"

"Mmm hmmm… it's a vibrator."

"I think I might allow you to stop for a moment and go get it."

He heard her unzip what he assumed was her suitcase as he waited. She answered breathlessly, "Okay, I got it."

He rolled his eyes a bit. Apparently he has to tell her everything. That's actually a good thing! "Turn it on."

He could hear the buzz in the background and she answered, "It's on."

"Yeah I can hear it. So, get your ass back in the bed and fuck yourself with the toy. And this time, I better hear a response. I better hear moaning, groaning, hell, you better be THANKING me for this. I don't have to let you do this you know. I could just make you work for it only using your own fingers."

It wasn't long at all until he heard breathy sighs and moans that sent blood rushing south. His pants were way too tight for him to handle so he unzipped them and pulled his cock out, stroking it.

"How much would you love to suck my cock while playing with your toy, huh?"

He heard a whimper this time and grinned, "Yeah you'd like that wouldn't you? How much of it could you take, I wonder? You remember my size don't you? Well I think it got a little thicker since." He glanced down at himself as he stroked. Yeah, probably about a half inch thicker.

"I don't know." She responded breathlessly and then moaned again, "Oh God that feels good!"

"Yeah because you're imagining sucking my cock aren't you? It tastes really good. Remember? Remember the last time you sucked me? I know I do. You with that hot little mouth almost made me shoot my load on your face, and I probably would have if I hadn't stopped you. You wanted to suck me dry back then, I remember it well. So, what if I shoved your head down on my cock? Made you take all of me in, just the way you wanted to then?"

"Oh, God!" Chloe whimpered again causing Jason to bite his lip on his own moan. Damn, she was so naturally HOT.

"You liked that image, huh? What if you refused me so I had to pinch your nose as punishment to make you open your mouth and take me? Then I shove my cock in and make you gag on it? Does that turn you on too? Because you know I can make it happen for you, just say the word and I'm there."

Her whimpers and moans were getting louder so he decided to turn it up a notch. He had a feeling he might have hit on a fetish of hers. Who knew Chloe Sullivan had an oral fetish? And he was going to play on it now.

"Okay sub, close your eyes and imagine licking my cock. You lick the pre-cum off the top, you lick the shaft, you get me good and wet with your saliva, then you lick my balls… which by the way, they're waxed, hurts like a mother fucker for me, but it's worth it when someone sucks or licks them because I feel everything. It's smooth, it's clean. Now you lick my balls, you lick your way back up trying your best to please me. Then you put me in your mouth as far as you can. You remember the taste of me Chloe?"

"Mmmmm… Oh God…. Oh, oh, oh, I think I'm going to come!"

Man, he would totally exploit that oral fetish if she'd let him! He encouraged her, "Come for me. Come for me Chloe, fuck that toy and imagine it's me fucking you hard and fast the way I really want to. Insert it in and out as fast as you can. Come on! Come for me, come for me, come for me…"

She shrieked as she came in his ear and he smiled a huge shit eating grin that reached all the way to his ears.

However, he was still rock hard at this moment, but enjoyed the moment of triumph in getting her off. He waited until it sounded like she had calmed down and he asked, "What do you say sub?"

"Thank you sir!" He could hear the grin in her voice.

"You're welcome, so… how about a little help? You've now got me all hot and bothered over here! It's your job to please me. What are you going to do about it?"

"I will suck your cock."

"Do you really want to? I'm stroking it now, can you imagine that? Does it make your mouth water bitch?"

"Yesss."

"Yeah, you're a good little cock sucker for me, aren't you sub? But I don't know if I want to give it to you. How much do you really want it?"

"I do want it. Badly." She answered on a dreamy sigh.

"Make me believe it, how much do you want to suck me?"

"Please? Let me put your cock in my mouth so I can taste you. Please?"

"That's better. Imagine me patting your jaw and ordering you to open wide… wider… I would probably say something like, 'Get that fucking mouth open bitch', and when I feel it's open wide enough I place it inside."

He felt mentioning just shoving it in like most subs liked at the club wouldn't win any points at the moment. He wanted to help her spread her wings a little to find what she was capable of. Maybe she'll cross over to the dark side with him? Who knew?

He lowered his voice authoritatively, "Suck me… I want you to place two fingers in your mouth and pretend you're sucking me. I wanna hear sucking noises, loud ones, right now. Or better yet, get the toy and suck it. Come on, I'm dying here! You don't want to displease me, not at this stage."

He could hear garbled sucking sounds that almost made him come on the spot. He began to stroke his dick, "Now that's a good girl, take it as far as you can. You can do it. Come on. Suck me hard and fast."

He heard her gag and he waited a beat, then said "Imagine me grabbing you by the hair and telling you 'Suck it bitch, don't you dare spit me out again' what would you do?"

"I'd suck you, sir."

Jason groaned in response, "Yeah you would and you'd enjoy it. If you didn't I would make you enjoy it. Now suck me, suck the toy pretending it is me and suck it hard and fast, get spit all over it."

Damn, he wished at that moment he had a video feed. He would have exploded all over the screen by now, he was sure of it. But he closed his eyes, imagining her sucking him off, hearing the sucking noises she made, knowing she never used the safe word the whole time and seemed to like what they did. It was a huge turn on for him. He stroked himself harder and harder and grunted.

"I'm about to come sub, would you swallow or spit?"

"I'd swallow. Taste your sweet, tanginess down my throat. I want you to come in my mouth sir." She answered.

"Oh yeah you would, you'd swallow every last drop and thank me for letting you do it. Oh…DAMN I'm about … to…." He stroked harder, the imagery of what she gave him enough to start sending him over the edge, "Come….AHHHH! FUCK!" Correction, make that enough to send him flying.

Thank God he had a handkerchief ready when he did come, he shot his load into his handkerchief covered hand, coming in hard spurts and making him wonder if he ever came that hard in his life?

He fell back with a groan, leaning back as far as his leather desk chair allowed, enjoying a moment of pure bliss. It would have been so much sweeter to fuck Chloe instead of talking about it, but he was determined to respect her boundaries.

"Jason? Hey Jason? We're out of the role play right?"

"Yeah Chloe, we're out of the role play."

"When can we do that again for real?"

He beat his fist in the air in triumph. "As soon as you're ready babe. As soon as you're fucking ready, we'll do it."


End file.
